


I Have and Always Will Love You

by IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Asta Has Magic (Black Clover), Asta is a GOAT, Don't Copy My Shit, Don't Like Don't Read, Eventual Happy Ending (I Think), Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Major Canon Divergence (like seriously), Mpreg, Mutual Pining, Not Really Character Death, Other, Rare Pairings, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 34
Words: 180,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24077362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL/pseuds/IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL
Summary: UNDER EDITING--IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THIS, PLEASE SKIP (THERE ISN'T A NEW PLOT. JUST TOUCHING UP)Humanity is on the verge of war with the Underworld. Asta saves a demon-possessed Yuno, but with a price, in order to end a bloody war before it even begins. Yuno is haunted by that moment his foster brother saved him, appearing to relive people's lives after a certain incident occurs. Will Yuno be able to right his wrongs and keep his promise once this seemingly never-ending dream ends?
Relationships: Asta & Finral Roulacase, Asta & Yuno (Black Clover), Asta (Black Clover) & Original Character(s), Asta/Leopold Vermillion, Charlotte Roselei/Yami Sukehiro, Finral Roulacase/Yuno, Fuegoreon Vermillion/Original Character(s), Kahono/Noelle Silva, Lemiel Silvamillion Clover/Original Character(s), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Vanessa Enoteca/Nozel Silva, Yuno (Black Clover) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there!
> 
> This is my first ever story because I was inspired by IAmStoryteller to write my own fic.
> 
> I just wanted to let you know that I'm quite fond of A/B/O dynamics, but I just don't know how to write them in properly without going overboard, so I decided to take the (extremely) complicated route and make up some sort of "pathology" that makes it similar to Omegas. If you don't like that, then I think you'll be okay as it doesn't play that significant of a role other than the first and last arc of the story.
> 
> If you still don't like it, then, please, don't waste your time and read something that you'll enjoy!
> 
> As for POV, it will be third-person omniscient, cycling among the various thoughts and behaviors of the characters I deem relevant for each event.
> 
> One last thing, though I feel this should go without saying, but copyright is copyright so...  
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the manga/anime Black Clover's characters.
> 
> Peace out!
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL
> 
> P.S. Just a fair warning: there will be some OC inserts that won't play too big of a role other than probably one (depending on your definition of "original character").
> 
> P.P.S. Looking at the warnings now, I will do my best to add trigger warnings prior to any chapters that I feel would require them.

_ Royal Capital of Clover Kingdom _

_ The Infirmary - Private Delivery Room _

“Come on now, love, just one more push. You can do it!” shouted Leopold Vermillion to his husband, Asta. Leopold was kneeling at his lover’s side, holding back tears of joy (or pain?) as Asta squeezed the life out of his hand.  _ Seriously, even in this weakened state, he’s as strong as ever, _ thought Leopold, having already lost all sensation in his hand since the moment his beloved had to push. Despite the excruciating pain he initially felt, the twenty year-old knew that what he felt was next-to-nothing compared to the indescribable pain his Asta must have been going through. He gritted his teeth to stop himself from saying a flurry of expletives that would have surely gotten him kicked out of the infirmary by Doctor Owen, the attending healer, who wasn’t very fond of such malicious language.

“L-Leo,” Asta painfully started, breaths short from the energy expenditure that the now one-hour delivery demanded from him, “I...c-can’t. Please...stop the pain.” Asta was now letting the tears flow out. He already knew that he looked like a mess--swimming in his own fluids, hair strands sticking to his sweat-slicked forehead, feeling pain in places he didn’t know existed--so he didn’t bother holding up a front anymore. Who knew that the miracle of life could be so painful? It felt like yesterday (in fact it was) when he daydreamed about such an easy birth--he thought the babies would just pop out without any hassle, and he and Leo would swoon over the little angels that would sprout literal white-feathered wings and be playing golden mini-instruments with their dainty little fingers--but no, this was a totally different beast all together, and if someone asked him on his deathbed who was his most formidable enemy, he would undoubtedly point to this moment in his life, towards the wailing little devils that were his offspring. He should’ve heeded Charlotte and Rebecca’s warnings and prepared his body but no, he just had to be sexist and say that it wouldn’t hurt that much because he was a man after all. God, he was wrong...painfully, undeniably wrong.  _ I’ll have to apologize to them after this but knowing them, they’re probably together with their children, mocking me as I agonize _ , Asta thought.

Biting back a sob, Leo wiped the tears from his husband’s cheeks, lightly moving his fingers to grab his chin in order to force Asta to look into his eyes. The moment his eyes locked into those enthralling viridian eyes, he knew that his lover’s plea was just the pain talking. He knew that Asta only sought comfort and not any actual spell or magic item to ease the pain childbirth brought on him. He still felt guilty, though, looking into those eyes, because he knew that Leo merely gave in to his husband’s request of a magicless, natural childbirth. Leo couldn’t help but give off a light chuckle, remembering the mini-argument they had prior to Asta’s water breaking--those pleading puppy-dog eyes that Asta rarely used because he knew he could coax anyone, even those with the coldest hearts of stone, into doing whatever he wanted. “Be strong, my love,” Leo began in a soothing tone, as he closed his eyes and touched his forehead to his husband’s, knowing how the simple action could bring a wave of comfort over Asta. “Just one more push. You can’t give up now. Not when his brothers are waiting.” Leo opened one eye to peer to the other side of the bed where Tara, a junior Magic Knight from the Green Praying Mantis squad, who was practicing to improve her healing skills, was attending to the two crying newborns, probably waiting eagerly to be reunited with their other sibling. Leo returned his focus to Asta’s eyes--the same eyes he fell in love with the moment their eyes locked for the first time. He noticed a twinkle of determination--something that Leo and many others had helped him slowly regain over the years. 

Hearing those words, Asta grinned. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his lover’s hand, hearing a few more cracks and pops (he really needed to repay Leo after this), and gave one last painstaking push, screaming at the top of his lungs with his Leo joining him (probably from the sudden return of sensation from some of his metacarpals breaking). As the last of his cries of agony escaped him, he could hear the faint crying of his third newborn.

“Congratulations, my lords, you have given birth to wonderful triplets,” stated the head healer, smiling down at his three not-blood-related-but-still-nephews. “Have you decided on their names yet, my lords?” he turned to the new parents who were both recovering from childbirth.

“Hang on...let me...catch...my breath,” said Asta between shallow breaths. He put his forearm over his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his heart rate. As he was recovering, he noticed he was holding on to something mushy with his other hand. Taking a peek, he saw Leo wince as he moved to let his hand go. “My love, your hand. Did it hurt that much?” Asta asked sarcastically.

“Haha, very funny, Asta. It’s clear that not even childbirth can meddle with your sarcasm,” replied Leo in a playful tone. “Yes, it hurts. But I’m sure it’s nothing to what you must’ve felt while you gave birth to our three sons,” continued Leo, now more sympathetic than anything.

“Nonsense. Your pain is my pain,” Asta retorted, sly smirk beginning to form at the corners of his lips, “although I’m not as much a wimp as you.”

Touching his free hand to his chest and sticking out a bottom lip in a pout to show fake-hurt, Leo jokingly responded, “Asta, my love, that hurts even more. I might need something to restore my pride.”

Rolling his eyes, Asta reached the back of Leo’s head to bring him closer in order to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. “There. Better now?” asked Asta.

Leo smiled happily, knowing that his little act was a success. Risking for more, Leo began, “Now I know you’ll be recovering and all, but I was wondering if maybe in a week or two we could--ow, ow, ow, ow…”

Leo’s request was shut down by Asta’s monstrous strength squeezing his shattered hand. “I just gave birth to triplets, and the next thing on your mind is to fuck? No, mister. Even if I do like it. Honestly, where do you even get your sex drive? Sometimes, even I can’t keep up with it,” Asta scolded with a light-pink tint on his cheeks for confessing that he liked it when he and Leo did it.

“Hmm? What was that? Did I hear someone say that they ‘like it’?” Leo smirked with one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

“Shut up. You know how I feel talking about our...nightly routines,” Asta admitted, blush becoming more prominent than before. Asta let out a contented sigh and looked to the side table where Dr. Owen was examining the children to confirm a healthy delivery.

Noticing Asta’s line of sight, Leo also looked, tears beginning to form as Dr. Owen began approaching Asta and him with their bundles of joy. 

“They’re definitely Vermillions,” Asta observed as he adjusted his arms to hold the three little ones, who immediately got closer to Asta’s chest, calming down from their crying state, as if they knew who their mother was.

Leo began to gently stroke each of his kids’ hair with his non-broken hand, taking note of Asta’s spot-on observation. They definitely took after him with their vermillion-colored hair but unlike Leo’s, they had a mix of grey strands that complimented the blanket of red. “Call it a hunch, but even with their eyes closed, I can tell that they have your eyes, Asta.”

Asta only smiled, knowing better than to question his husband’s instincts. “That may be true, but one thing’s for sure: I sure as hell don’t know what to name these three.” He really didn’t. Captain Yami and Captain Charlotte both said that when the time came, they would know. He just felt apprehensive knowing that the two came up with the name “Ava” in the middle of a battle against some rogue mages, and Captain Yami being Captain Yami found it appropriate to step to the side and write it on his palm so he wouldn’t forget. Until then, the baby was just referred to as “Little Spiny Prickly Queen” since Asta told them that he sensed her mother’s briar mana in her. Getting the gut-feeling that the same would happen to him and Leo since they were always battling (be it with new recruits, enemies, or each other), he asked Dr. Owen if he could borrow his portable quill and ink.

“You’re really believing that the same thing that happened to Ava will happen with our little ones?” questioned Leo as Asta was placing the magic item into his grimoire.

“If you have your hunches with our children’s eyes, then I have my hunches about their names,” answered Asta bluntly. Letting out a heavy sigh, Asta added, “I just wish  _ he _ was here. He’d know what to name them.”  _ Where are you, Yuno? _ Asta wondered, looking out of the window at the nightlife of the Royal Capital--people of all ages buzzing around, buying food and drinks, chatting and laughing with each other; drunks being kicked out of bars; the roar of street vendors as they advertised their products; streetlights illuminating the night, almost drowning the entire night-sky with its artificial light. 

Knowing who Asta was talking about, Leo simply repeated the lie he and Yuno had agreed on, “He’s your rival after all, so you know he’s out there trying to get stronger, trying to beat you to become the Wizard King.” Leo couldn’t help but feel culpable lying to his husband about his best friend and foster brother’s whereabouts. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Asta the truth--that Yuno decided to distance himself from Asta by taking his rightful seat on the Spade Kingdom throne in a desperate attempt to quell the more-than-brotherly feelings he had for him. Leo could still remember hearing a hint of envy during their conversation. No, it wasn’t envy for Leo’s success at capturing Asta’s heart, but envy for the obvious power gap he and Asta had, even if Asta always considered him more powerful. It seemed to Leo that Yuno’s quest to distance himself from Asta by becoming the Spade Kingdom’s king was also a quest for power--power that could rival the person he considered his one and only. Yes, it seemed obvious when Leo noticed the dark aura around Yuno as he was leaving for the Spade Kingdom; it was something that Leo always noticed when Yuno observed Asta during battle and training. Someday he’ll have to tell Asta the truth but for now, he just wanted to savor this present moment--the product of his and Asta’s love: three handsome boys. “Honestly, love, he’ll be back sooner than you think. Because after all, time flies when you’re a parent of four.”

Asta raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Asta asked curiously.

Leo couldn’t help but smirk at how his Asta was so intelligent yet so oblivious at the same time. “Isn’t it obvious, love? Him, him, him, and me,” he joked as he pointed his index finger to their three sons and himself.

Asta rolled his eyes. “You are a big baby aren’t you? How ever will I survive?” Asta asked sarcastically. Asta turned his focus back to the window, this time to the star that he and Yuno had agreed upon would be the star that kept them connected if they were ever separated. “Do you really think my babies’ godfather will come back?” Asta wondered out loud.

Leo internally flinched when Asta one-sidedly decided that Yuno was going to be their kids’ godfather because he remembered promising the title to the former Wizard King, who was fond of “little magic babies” because “you never know when one would be born with something wonderful, sort of like Asta-kun”. Leo lightly chuckled, rubbing his nape, “Hehe, yeah about that…” Asta turned and gave him a look of death that Leo only ever noticed when someone made fun of his “unproportional dimensions” being short and pregnant with triplets. “You know what? I think Yuno would make a fine godfather. But love, can I pick their godmother?” Leo asked, hopeful that Asta would let him because he knew Julius would only cry and pout like a baby but eventually forgive him, but his sister Mereoleona would kill him, have Mimosa revive him, only to kill him again. The thought sent shivers down his spine as he awaited Asta’s answer.

“Sure,” Asta answered tersely, not taking his eyes off the window.

Leo breathed a sigh of relief from his husband’s approval. Turning his attention to his sons, who were now in deep slumber, Leo stated, “It looks like you’ve got a lot of things on your mind again, love. You shouldn’t overexert yourself just yet since you just gave birth to these three,” pointing at his sons, “and you know how much mana it takes to deliver triplets, let alone a single baby.” Leo knew Asta wanted to continue his side investigation of Yuno’s whereabouts, but childbirth, according to his mom, was no laughing matter. She explained to him that a mother who just gave birth has almost all their mana drained from the trauma. Normally, birth spells and magic items were used to prevent any further mana loss but with Asta’s seemingly bottomless mana reserves, she mentioned that he could and most probably would go magicless because a drawback, though extremely small nowadays thanks to improving birth magic knowledge, was the possibility of a miscarriage. Leo knew that Asta would want to go magicless the moment his mother mentioned this detail to them. Another reason why he caved to Asta’s desire to go magicless was because of a very dark memory that he wanted to avoid repeating at all costs. He still noticed, though, that despite Asta’s ostensibly infinite mana reserves, he appeared drained.

“I guess so…” Asta sighed, turning his attention back to Leo’s injured hand. “But, love, what about your hand?” he asked with a concerned look on his face.

“Oh this?” Leo began, showing his injured hand, “this is nothing. I’ll have that junior Magic Knight heal it right away.”

“You know I only want to give you the best, right? So why won’t you let me heal it? I don’t trust having any of those close to me being healed by anyone other than myself,” Asta replied, deep frown etching itself onto his face.

“You’re such a hypocrite sometimes, you know that? You were the first of all people to say that the only real way to show that people improved or needed to improve was to do,” stated Leo matter-of-factly.

Asta crossed his arms, puffed out his cheeks, and looked away from Leo’s gaze--an action he always does whenever he knows he’s losing an argument. “I hate it when you’re right. But if you end up with a claw for a hand, don’t come running to me,” he grumbled.

Leo couldn’t help but pinch his cheeks and giggle, “You’re so cute when you’re angry.”

“Stop that, Leopold. I’m not cute!” retorted Asta, heat returning to his cheeks.

“Oh really? And did I hear you call me by my whole name?” Leo asked in a deeper tone. Leo approached Asta’s ear and licked the lobe. Still speaking in a deeper tone, close enough that Asta could feel his hot breath, “I like it when you call me by my whole name. It ignites  _ that _ fire in me, baby.”

Shivering at Leo’s deeper tone of voice and the pet name he only used when they were in bed, Asta squirmed under his breath, stuttering, “L-Leo…”

Leo was about to take it a step further but was met with a firm hand chop to the top of his head from Dr. Owen. “Ow, what was that for? You do realize I’ve got two injuries now?”

“I leave you two for five minutes to check up on other patients and give you both some privacy to celebrate the miracle of life, but this is how you choose to celebrate? In front of your newborn triplets too,” scolded Dr. Owen in a lecturing voice, head moving in disappointment. “I’ll have Tara heal your head, and I’ll take care of your hand. For now, Asta needs to rest, damn it, if he wants to get back on his feet as soon as possible.”

Asta couldn’t help but snicker at the display of Dr. Owen, acting like an overbearing father to Leo whom he always treated when he was younger because of his rambunctious nature, earning a cold glare from his husband. “Thanks, Dr. Owen. I guess you’re right--I have to rest. So, I’ll unfortunately have to hand my little pumpkins to you,” he said, yawning as a wave of exhaustion came over him.

Seeming to soften at the pet name that Asta gave, Dr. Owen carefully removed the bundles of life from their mother’s grasp and placed them back on the magic pillowed-table that would keep the children warm overnight despite being separated from Asta. “Rest now, Asta. I know you’re stubborn but truly, even the best need their rest if they want to keep going. I’ll take care of everything from here,” he said as he tucked each baby in. Turning, he couldn’t help but smile, feeling his heart fatten at the sight before him: there was Asta, tucked in snuggly in the covers and sleeping peacefully with his head pressed against Leo’s chest and Leo tightly holding onto Asta’s waist despite having to use his broken hand.  _ They’ll make great parents, I just know it _ , thought Dr. Owen, as he quietly activated his  **Water Magic: Qualle Operation** spell to quickly heal Leo’s broken hand.

_ Royal Capital _

_ Infirmary - Private Delivery Room _

_ Asta’s Dreams _

Asta awoke on an oversized bed that must’ve been the size of his and Leo’s entire room at the Vermillion House. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around and noticed large stuffed animals--lions and bears and tigers and many more--floating about. He smirked, knowing only one person who could capture him in such an illusion.

“ **Dream Magic: Glamour World** ,” said an unknown voice. Soon enough, none other than the Captain of the Coral Peacocks, Dorothy Unsworth, shimmered into existence.

“Hello, Captain Dorothy,” Asta greeted.

“Oh, Asta-kun, enough with those formalities! I already told you since the day we met to just call me ‘Big Sis’ or ‘Dorothy,’” Dorothy reciprocated.

Rubbing his nape and smiling, Asta kindly replied, “Yeah, yeah, sorry about that Big Sis, I’m just so used to it since I want my squad members and new recruits to treat you with respect even if you’re sleeping ninety-eight percent of the time.”

“Thank you, Asta-kun. I greatly appreciate it. But I’ll have you know that ever since you went into labor, I’ve been asleep for only  _ ninety-seven _ percent of the time,” Dorothy fake-swooned.

Asta rolled his eyes. “Sorry for taking away that  _ one  _ percent, Big Sis,” Asta apologized half-heartedly. “But, may I ask, why have you been sleeping less? It surely can’t be just because of me.”

“Oh, Asta-kun, you’re as selfless as ever even when you’re giving birth,” Dorothy began, slowly turning serious, “but just like everybody else, we’ve been worried about you. Though I hate to admit it, I’ve noticed that you’ve been dreaming more and more about Yuno these days. So we just wanted to know if everything’s fine.”

Asta’s stomach flipped at the mention of Yuno’s name. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated sigh. “First off, please stop invading my dreams. I may trust you to let you go ‘unnoticed’ as you do, but I don’t want you compromising that trust by forcibly entering my subconscious in my most vulnerable state. Secondly, I know that ‘everybody’ means my husband, the other Magic Knight Captains, the Wizard King, and Damnatio, so you can cut the bullshit. Third, I know why you all have been ‘concerned’: because you think that the recent devil abductions of Magic Knights near the neutral zone between Spade and Clover are Yuno’s doing due to him ascending the Spade Kingdom throne and breaking all, if not most, contact with the Clover Kingdom,” Asta stated curtly with a bit of venom in his voice at the third point.

“You’re as sharp as ever, Asta-kun,” said a seventeen-year-old Wizard King Julius, beginning to shimmer into existence, along with Damnatio, the Magic Knight Captains, and Leo (who appeared by his side on the bed).

Leo, looking distressed, asked right-off-the-bat, “Love, how did you know we were lying to you?”

“Leo, you of all people should know. You’re my husband for goodness sake! I know you better than anyone else. I know how you start rubbing your nape, look off to the side, and bite just the right side of your bottom lip whenever you lie. You’re easily able to lie to everyone else because you don’t show these mannerisms, but I know you can’t do the same with me because you love me,” replied Asta frankly.

Dumbfounded, Leo could only ask, “Then why didn’t you say anything if you knew everything, love?”

Asta grinned his signature toothy grin and whole-heartedly replied, “Because I wanted to give you a chance to figure out a way to come out clean without hiding any details. Also, I knew you were only doing this to protect my fragile heart, and I love you for that, you handsome jerk!”

Face heating up at the compliment/insult, Leo rubbed his nape and stuttered, “Y-yeah…”

Everyone present busted out in laughter with how the Crimson Lion Kings captain stammered, which only served to deepen the Vermillion’s blush. To ease his husband, Asta gave him a quick peck on the cheek, making Leo smile and grab Asta snuggly by the waist, his damaged pride slowly returning. Leo apologized, “I’m sorry, love, for hiding this from you. I love you so much for that but how do you deal with me?”

Asta only giggled, replying, “All is forgiven, love. I love you, too. And honestly, I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s gonna help with our triplets.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the statement. “TRIPLETS!?” everyone said in unison.

Realizing everyone’s astonishment, Asta quietly mumbled so that only Leo could hear, “I can see that your deception skills have improved quite a bit,” as he gazed at his husband.

Remembering that he deceived everyone--even his parents, which included his mother, Marisol, who was more fierce than Mereoleona when she wanted to be--into thinking that he and Asta were only expecting one child, all Leo could do was start rubbing his nape, look to the side, and bite only the right side of his bottom lip.

Noticing his husband’s mannerism, Asta giggled again, “But it looks like there’s still room for improvement.”

“So...how are my godchildren?” asked Julius with hope in his voice that the couple would allow him to meet them right away. Since he became the Wizard King, he never had time to settle down and find “the one” and make mini-Juliuses; he was always preoccupied with being the Wizard King and an influential buffer region between the Magic Knights and the politics that governed Clover Kingdom’s civilians, protecting his subjects from the corrupted grasps of the noble families that attempted to climb the ranks by any means. So when his time magic reverted him back to a thirteen year-old four years ago, he saw it as a second chance at life, not only to find love, but also to deepen and form new bonds with his Magic Knights before the day came when the inevitable truth of his death/resurrection would come out, and he would have to resume his position as the Wizard King. Before that day came, however, he wanted to better understand his large unofficial family so that when he did resume power, he could make the necessary changes to finally realize his dream of Magic Knights--and maybe even civilians--that worked together towards the common goal of maintaining peace throughout Clover Kingdom. One would have called it far-fetched many years ago, but ever since he met Zara Ideale, the first non-noble and non-royal Magic Knight, he knew that it was possible. The arrival of Asta and Yuno made things even more possible, despite the fact that one shouldn’t have counted Yuno since he was unbeknowingly a royal of the once-ruling family of the Spade Kingdom. Even beyond that, Asta, a peasant, and Leopold Vermillion, a royal, were able to fall madly in love with one another, and the product of their love--three wonderful children--was just the cherry on top of the metaphorical cake, proving to him and every other noble and royal family that love had no bounds, and social classes were irrelevant mistakes waiting to be things of the past. Also, he really liked babies.

Asta and Leo looked at each other, holding a silent conversation that only the other could understand, making everyone slightly uneasy with what they were about to say. As if they were ventriloquist dummies being controlled by the same puppeteer, both began rubbing their napes, looked to the side, bit only the right side of their bottom lip, and said in unison, “Yeah...about that…”

“Eh?” was Julius’s response, beginning to look bewildered.

Together, again, they continued, “We kinda...maybe...sorta...well you see…”

“Eh?” responded Julius, this time a little louder and higher-pitched, tears beginning to form in his eyes as held back a sob.

The couple let out a guilty sigh, but again in chorus, “You’re not the godfather. Yuno is.”

“It was Asta’s idea,” added Leo.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Leo?” questioned Asta, feeling offended by such an accusation.

“What? You said it yourself, knowing full well that we promised Julius he could be the godfather. I just didn’t argue because, well, you gave birth to my children, so I wanted to be nice,” chided Leo.

“Fine, fine, fine,” Asta waved him off, “but I guess we’re even now since you chose Mereleona as the godmother. Although, love, we’re not even with the kids. Giving birth to triplets, let alone a single baby, gives me more than enough favors to last me a lifetime.”

“Mereleona, the...GODMOTHER!?” Julius exclaimed. As expected, Julius began to sob like a two-year-old. Dorothy flew over, dreaming up a handkerchief and handing it to the dead-but-not-dead-ex-still-Wizard-King, who wiped his tears and blew out his snot, covering the entire cloth. “Thank you, Dorothy,” he said, handing the handkerchief back to her, who grimaced at the snot-covered rag and said that he could just keep it. Cleaning himself up from his fake-but-still-real grief, Julius gathered himself, and said, “Asta, that’s another thing we want to talk about. We’d like to discuss Yuno.”

The cheerful atmosphere died immediately. Everyone straightened themselves, looking at each other seriously, knowing that the moment Julius dropped “-kun” with Asta, he meant business.

Leo, with his hand now healed both in the Glamour World and reality, grabbed Asta’s hand, who gripped it tightly. “Whatever it is, Julius. I won’t believe it until I see it. You all know my opinion on the matter,” Asta stated plainly.

“Yes, I know. We all know, Asta. But please, hear us out. We have strong evidence to believe that Yuno has been behind the devil abductions throughout Clover. Last he was seen was in Hage Village where an entire orphanage went missing. You know what happens next after these sightings, Asta. Two to three days from now, those missing people’s bodies will end up in another village but this time, closer to the Royal Capital” announced Julius without a single ounce of compassion in his voice. He needed to let everyone know, including Asta, even if it did hurt him because he knew the new mother would drop all his duties to the kingdom--as a private investigator, as a Grand Magic Knight, as the Captain of the Royal Knights squad, as the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings squad, and as an Arcane-level commander of the inter-kingdom alliance among the Heart, Clover, and Diamond kingdoms--to sort out the problem himself. It was times like these that Julius despised being the Wizard King because he knew he had to sacrifice the peace of an individual to maintain the peace of an entire kingdom that was basically under his command thanks to a good-for-nothing king. He thought Asta would take his bait, but he didn’t expect what came next.

Grip tightening on Leo’s hand, Asta calmed himself to gather his thoughts, took a deep breath, and voiced, “Fuck you, Julius. Just, fuck you. Fuck all of you. I’ve put up with all of your accusations for far too long. I can handle all your accusations and all the work you throw on me because I truly love what I do. The stress of pregnancy and my jobs as a Magic Knight were already enough, but this is just going too far. Accusing Yuno of possibly kidnapping and murdering the only family he had before he was informed of his royal lineage? No. This isn’t going too far; this is just low, especially for the likes of you Julius--someone that I’ve looked up to since I could remember.” Asta noticed everyone’s shock immediately followed by shame from how the seemingly once-proud Magic Knight captains--people he also looked up to, people who he thought would never waiver under the might of even the most powerful foe--put their heads down and slumped their shoulders as he berated his mentors. “Have you all no shame? Just minutes ago, I was celebrating the miracle of life with my husband, yet you have the audacity to ruin the happiest moment of my life? I’ve had enough. My stance on this matter remains unchanged: I will not believe a single thing any of you say about Yuno until I see it with my own eyes. End of discussion.”

Before anyone could respond, Julius began to cough up blood--something that could never happen in the Glamour World unless one of two things happened: Dorothy dreamt it up or the dreamer’s body was harmed in the physical world. Shocked, everyone turned their eyes to Dorothy, who was equally shocked, meaning that the latter was the only possible explanation for Julius’s unexpected affliction. Unfortunately, before anyone could tell Dorothy to remove the dream spell on Julius, Dorothy also began to cough up blood. As the effects of her dream magic appeared to weaken on the Magic Knights, Dorothy weakly announced to everyone the obvious, “Clo...ver Kingdom, un...der attack.”

Something was wrong, Asta already knew this. It wasn’t just the invasion of a new, unknown enemy, but the fact that someone circumvented the protection plan the Magic Knights established for the Wizard King in the event of another attack on the Royal Capital was what bothered him so much. Ever since Julius’s unfortunate “death” during the battle with the reincarnated Elves, Asta was appointed as Julius’s personal bodyguard. Not wanting to keep Asta by his side 24/7 because Julius knew the boy couldn’t handle the dull redundancy of escorting a “long-lost royal” Alexander Kira Clover (Julius’s alias), he had Secré, the former personal assistant and oblivious lover of the first Wizard King Lumiere, use her sealing magic Zora, Zara Ideale’s son’s, trap magic, and Finral’s spatial magic to bind his and Asta’s locations so that any time that one of them was in immediate danger, the trap would activate the sealed teleportation spell so that the other would instantly be teleported to their location. It was an ingenious plan that was accidentally suggested by Marie who masterminded a prank that used the three’s abilities to teleport Captain Yami (who at the time, was fighting a losing battle to a massive turd) to the middle of the Blue Rose Knights’ base during their training session. The thought almost distracted Asta from the situation at hand. Anyways, the moment Leo and him discovered that he was pregnant, Julius immediately demanded a contingency plan, concerned that in the case the Royal Capital was attacked during Asta’s pregnancy, it would put the child (not knowing at the time that it was triplets) in danger, added to the fact that pregnancy drains the mana of the expectant mother at an alarming rate, even for the likes of Asta who had an apparent unlimited mana reserve. Initially opposed to the idea, Asta couldn’t help but acquiesce the moment Julius mentioned his unborn child(ren). The contingency plan was simple enough: use Dorothy’s dream magic to bring Julius’s physical body to the Glamour World. Although it meant losing a powerful Magic Knight captain in Dorothy and a former Wizard King in Julius (despite his weakened state as a younger version of himself), it was the best possible contingency plan that everyone could promptly come up with due to the unforeseen circumstances with Asta’s pregnancy,  _ Which honestly should have been expected since the couple fucked like bunnies _ , Mereleona said casually at the time.  _ Still, something isn’t right. First, no one, except a select few, even knows that Julius is alive. And even if they did, news of my pregnancy was kept behind closed doors to only Leo’s immediate family, the Magic Knight captains, Julius, Noelle, and Mimosa, so no one should have known right away, which should have given us enough time to create, execute, and hide the contingency plan before my baby bump became obvious _ , thought Asta. Another thing that bothered him was the fact that up until now, only he and Dorothy were privy to her visits in his dream, which always left his physical body in a vulnerable state. Knowledge of a contingency plan coupled with the fact that this person (or people) knew that he occasionally let Dorothy take him to her Glamour World and that today was his due date (another tightly-kept secret that only he and Leo knew)--it all seemed too calculated, and it seemed that luck was on the enemy’s side in this instance.

_ Somewhere in the Royal Capital, Outside _

As the Glamour World began to collapse, Asta woke up to crying. As if on instinct, he knew that the crying was from his triplets who were all being carefully carried in a fire lion’s paw. Looking around, Asta noticed that he, too, was being carried in his husband’s family’s signature fire magic’s fire lion cloak’s paw. Leo was carrying his family as he ran through a sea of panic to who-knows-where. Asta couldn’t resist the urge to come towards the crying to soothe his children’s distress, reaching for them.

Understanding his husband’s actions, Leo merged the two paws into one giant paw as he was navigating the crowd so that his kids could be with their mother. “We need to find shelter where we could suppress our mana, love. You were still stuck in the Glamour World when, Brother (Fuegoleon) and Sister (Mereleona) barged in and warned us of an attack by a devil army.”

Eyes widening at the mention of “devil army”, Asta yelled, “Leo, stop! Turn back! We have to save them! We have to save Julius, your siblings, and the others before it’s too late. You know that there’s only so many arcane-stage mages that can stop any devil. And you know without me, they don’t stand a chance against a group--let alone, an army--of devils!” Asta was only partly lying because even in his strongest state, he didn’t know if he could take on an entire devil army, but he had to say whatever he could to convince Leo to turn back.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Leo growled. Tears slowly streaming down his cheeks, he yelled back, “Captain Vangeance and Patri are with them as well, but I know they still don’t stand a chance--I know they’re going to die, Asta! But I’m not going to make their attempt to buy us time to get to safety in vain.” Leo changed his direction, now headed to the Black Bulls’ base.

Recognizing the route, Asta shouted, “Leo, no! What are you doing? Taking us to the Black Bulls base will only decrease our chances of executing a counter-”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!” Leo cut him off, losing all the calm he developed over the years thanks to Fuegoleon, “I’m your husband. And as of tonight, I’m those triplet’s father,” Leo pointed to the three unnamed bundles that Asta was trying to calm down, “so it is my duty as the head of this family to protect it. Right now, the only place I know that can keep this family safe is where there is a high concentration of arcane-stage mages that could help me protect you all.”

Knowing better than to continue arguing when his husband lost his temper, Asta bit his tongue and shut his mouth, replying, “Ok, I understand.”

Finally convincing Asta, Leo used his magic to reinforce his physical speed in order to arrive at the Black Bulls’ base sooner rather than later. Talking back to Asta without turning his head, Leo said, “Hold on.” With that, the family made a beeline for Asta’s former squad’s hideout.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has come to my attention that a lot of the Black Clover fandom community consists of a majority of Asta/Yuno shippers, so I understand if some of you are disappointed (or even spiteful) that I decided to do an Asta/Leo ship, but I ask that you give this ship a chance and challenge any writers to venture out of their comfort zone and attempt non-Asta/Yuno ships. Though it may not receive the same attention that you seek, it only makes you a better writer. 
> 
> Anyways, I did not expect to get past 10 hits and was only hopeful of someone commenting, so I am beyond grateful that some of you decided to check out my work, even if you were just skimming through it.
> 
> I'm currently preparing to move out now that since my country's quarantine orders are easing, so I don't know when I'll be able to post again. I'll remind any faithful readers that I do have chapters in-line already so when I do come back on AO3, it'll be a simple click of a button. In the meantime, please enjoy Chapter 2 and leave any comments down below.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Black Bulls’ Base, Outside_

The moment they arrived, the family was greeted with grins and a Black Bulls squad that looked ready for battle. Even Captain Yami, who usually looked bored out of his mind, couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his former underling, his husband, and three newborns. “Oi! Kid, you goddamn liar. You told us one, not three! The moment this is all over, you’re both explaining yourselves, otherwise I’ll kill you,” threatened the Black Bulls’ captain. This earned startled expressions from Asta’s former squadmates, who were shocked to find out that their former squadmate had given birth to more than one child. Everyone quickly greeted and congratulated the couple.

“Oh, my goodness, my precious babies! They’re so cute!” exclaimed Vanessa. Noelle followed suit.

“Oh, oh! After this, I’ll make sure to give them lots of yummy noms to make sure they grow up strong and healthy! La!” suggested Charmy, offering a cupcake to their mother who accepted the sweet.

“Hmph, I’ll admit it that they’re cute. But no one is prettier than my angel Marie,” Gauche said flatly, which earned him a death glare from the girls in the squad.

“Oh, oh! They are cute! And they seem pretty strong, too. When this is over, can I fight them?” questioned Luck, who seemed frightfully excited to fight three newborns. This earned him a firm “No” from everyone and a death threat from Magna, who appeared to be crying despite proclaiming that “real men don’t cry”.

“Thank you, guys so much,” Asta began, “but I don’t think this is the time nor the place to gawk over our kids.”

“The kid’s right. Right now, the Royal Capital is under attack, but knowing those boneheads-for-captains, I know they’ll be alright without me,” said Yami confidently. Sighing, he continued, “I guess I’m stuck on babysitting duty. And here I thought one kid was a handful. I honestly don’t know how you’re gonna handle three, kid.”

“Thanks for the concern, Captain Yami,” Leo said, “but again, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, I have a family to protect.” He started for the inside of the hideout, only for Yami to clasp an encouraging hand on his shoulder.

Noticing the hurt in his voice and the dry tears on his cheeks, Yami knew that Leo knew that the young Vermillion’s siblings and squadmates were most likely dead at this point, not standing a chance against the current enemies. “Kid, I know you know but don’t give up hope,” Yami grinned, “after all, if I ain’t gonna be the one to beat you to a pulp for giving up, your husband sure as hell will.” Yami knew that it was wrong to give false hope to the young Vermillion, but he was a father now, and if anything good came out of taking care of his own little monster, Ava, it was that a parent had to stay strong in front of their kids no matter the adversity.

Slightly grinning at the words of encouragement, Leo turned his attention back to heading inside. This time, he was accompanied by Vanessa’s red fate kitten, Rouge, and Noelle. It was times like these that Leo was thankful for Asta’s friends, who placed loyalty above all else and would do anything and everything to protect Asta and those that he loved. It was an arduous process to get his husband to trust others again but looking at the sight before him, he knew that it was all worth it.

“ **Water Magic: Sea Dragon’s Nest** ,” said the silver-haired royal. Immediately, a layer of water encircled the Black Bulls’ hideout, providing an extra layer of protection for its inhabitants. “This should hold them back for now.” Aware of what happened to those who were slightly devil-possessed, which turned the affected into mindless zombies, Noelle knew that it was a longshot at protecting her squad from those fully-possessed, but she needed to play her part in this battle, remembering what Asta once told her, _Even the smallest, seemingly meaningless, efforts can turn the tide of a battle in your favor._ Removing herself from her thoughts, Noelle continued inside with Vanessa and the Vermillions.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Inside_

_Asta’s Mind_

**_You know how this is going to play out, don’t you, kid?_ ** asked Asta’s devil. Initially, he merely wanted to take over the kid’s body so that he could carry forth his mission in the preparatory phase of the Underworld’s invasion on the magic kingdoms but, though he hated to admit it, the kid grew on him almost as fast as he had possessed him, going as far as convincing him to turn over a new leaf and prevent the invasion. Just thinking about it, he knew that his former self and the devils in the devil army who were waiting to exact their revenge on him would be disgusted at what he turned into. But he couldn’t help but smile at the thought because the new him was proud of what he had become.

_Yes, Amon, I do. I know who’s behind it. I don’t what to believe it until I see with my own eyes, but I know who’s responsible for all of this_ , answered Asta, having a conversation with his devil in his head while he was unconsciously stroking his kids’ heads to lull them back to sleep. 

**_What do you intend to do then?_ **asked Amon.

_Knowing full well of what this army and its leader is capable of, I intend to use_ that _spell,_ Asta replied monotonously.

Surprised at his host’s intentions, Amon yelled, **_You fool! You know what the consequences are for using_ ** **that** **_spell! You just gave birth to these kids, but now you’re not even hesitating to leave them behind! What the hell is wrong with you? What about your dream of becoming the Wizard King, huh?_ **

Asta couldn’t help but internally chuckle, _If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’ve grown fond of me and my family, Amon. But yes, I am fully aware of_ that _spell’s consequences, and I am ready to face them. I’ve played my part in this grand scheme, and having these children, my legacies, gives me the resolve to do what I must do. I know that with_ that _spell, I’ll be able to give this world a fighting chance and end this war before it even begins. Though I’ll regret never being able to see my kids grow up, I can say for sure that everything that led up to this point was all worth it. I feel selfish for doing so, but I’ll have to leave my dream of becoming the Wizard King to my three little ones. Nevertheless, I can’t do this without you, Amon. So, what do you say, my friend? Up for one last dance?_

**_Tch. As if I would grow fond of you humans. Never in a million years. You’ve been hanging around that old-geezer-stuck-in-a-teen’s-body Julius, sounding and acting like him by the second. As for your request, I’ll do it. But just know this: the only reason I’m accepting is because if your body goes, then I go, so I’d much prefer going out with a fight_ **, answered Amon softly.

Grinning, Asta said, _Afraid to confess your true feelings until the end, huh? Before it happens, I just wanted to tell you this: Thank you, Amon, my friend. It’s been an honor._

Features softening (though he wouldn’t admit it if anyone asked), Amon smiled a rare genuine smile, **_Of course. The honor is all mine, my Wizard King_ ** **.**

_Black Bulls’ Base, Inside_

_Common Room_

As Vanessa and Noelle stepped back out to back up their squad, Leo couldn’t help but feel useless. He knew his siblings, the Crimson Lion Kings, and all the other Magic Knights were more-than-likely dead. But what felt worse was that instead of helping out in the effort, he had to cower away behind the trust of all those he grew up with to protect his family. Even now, when his new family needed him the most, he couldn’t make his two sons, whom he was rocking in his arms, go to sleep. This never happened to him, and the thoughts haunted him, nearly bringing him to his wit’s end. Seeking comfort, Leo sat next to Asta who was holding their third son and gently rested his head on his husband’s shoulder. He confided, “Asta, I feel useless. I don’t know what to do. Everything I’ve done so far today was insignificant--I couldn’t help ease your pain, I couldn’t stay to protect my siblings and defend the capital with my squad as their captain, hell, I can’t even make these two little monsters go to sleep.”

Stroking his hair softly as he lay his head on his shoulder, Asta calmly pacified his husband’s tension. “Shhh, my love. Don’t say that. Everything you’ve done has played an important part in the grand scheme of things. I, for one, greatly appreciate everything that you’ve done. It makes me all the more confident that you’ll make a great father to our kids. Even right now, as you lay on my shoulder, you give me comfort I need during this battle. Even the smallest, seemingly meaningless, efforts can turn the tide of a battle in our favor.”

Calming under the soothing words of comfort, Leo for once today, let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, love. You always know what to say.” Lifting his head and gently grabbing Asta’s jaw to make their eyes lock, he laid a soft, passionate kiss on his lips. “I love you, Asta.”

“I love you, too, Leo,” Asta lovingly replied, resting his head on Leo’s shoulder as they both tried to calm their kids’ crying.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Outside_

“ **Fire Magic: Exploding Scattershot**!” yelled Magna as he sent a volley of exploding fireballs towards a group of demon-possessed commoners. He was thankful for Noelle’s water defense spell because it allowed everyone to send out attacks while simultaneously protecting him and his squadmates from most attacks, physical or magical. “Aye, Boss, I understand what’s happenin’ here, but hurtin’ these people that I swore an oath to protect just don’t feel right.”

“ **Dark Magic: Lightless Slash**!” yelled Yami as he sent a wave of dark magic towards another group of, this time, demon-possessed Magic Knights, cutting their bodies in half with surgical precision. “Yeah, I get ya, kid,” acknowledging his underling’s sentiments, “but until we can figure out how to turn them back, we’ve got to treat them as enemies. Steel yourself, kids.” Although he sucked at gambling, he was familiar enough with the game to know that he didn’t like the odds he and his squad had of winning against this army of the undead.

“ **Water Magic: Sea Dragon’s Roar** !” yelled Noelle as she sent a water dragon that mowed through an entire column of demon-possessed commoners only to be quickly filled by another wave. “There’s too many of them! My mana’s almost spent trying to maintain the strength of my **Sea Dragon’s Nest** while attacking back. We need to think of some-”

Noelle’s sentence was cut off by a spear of mercury that pierced right through her right-lower quadrant. Dazed from the attack, Noelle’s mana control began to wane, weakening her defensive spell, allowing some undead to funnel through the small holes. 

“Noelle!” exclaimed Luck. “ **Lightning Magic: Thunderclap Crumbling Orb**!” Luck yelled as he sent a series of orbs of concentrated lightning at the infiltrating demon-possessed. Luck was about to make his way to Noelle only to be grabbed by tree vines suddenly growing from the ground beneath him; it seemed to be draining him of all his mana.

“Luck! Noelle!” shouted Vanessa as she cast her thread magic to wrap around Luck’s right ankle and Noelle’s left wrist. _Damnit! If only I had Rouge, this would have all been prevented. No, I can’t keep relying on changing someone’s fate_ , thought Vanessa as she struggled to pull her two teammates back to safety, but the grips the mercury spear and the tree vines had on the two were overwhelming her. She sensed the two’s mana draining rapidly--Noelle’s from exhaustion and blood loss and Luck’s from the tree vines themselves, which seemed to be tightening its grip around the blond-haired boy as it slowly ate away at his mana. Her threads weren’t going to last much longer either until they would snap if she didn’t do something. _Think. Vanessa, think, think-_

Vanessa’s thought process was cut off by another blood-curdling scream, this time from Gauche who would have been pulled through the water defensive spell had it not been for Captain Yami’s quick reflexes and ki-sensing abilities that allowed him to cut him loose from the all-too-familiar red-rose briars. As he caught hold of Gauche’s arm to pull him back to her, the wind was knocked out of everyone standing as the faces of the owners of the grimoires that attempted to capture her teammates were revealed.

The cigarette in Yami’s mouth fell to the ground as his jaw dropped. Eyes widening at the revelation, he could only let out a shaky breath. “Char-Charlotte? No...” His wife, Charlotte Roselei Sukehiro, slowly revealed herself from behind a tree. Yami couldn’t believe his eyes: his wife showed the signs of a demon that was progressively taking over her entire body and soul--half of her body was covered in black, negative mana, red sclera with pupils the shape of a panther ready to pounce on its prey, a growing horn that protruded from her temple, her briar magic aura slowly dying out like a candlelight as it was replaced by a dark, sinister aura. Yami dropped his katana and dropped to both knees, defeated, no longer willing to fight as he saw the humanity of the love of his life wither away little by little. It wasn’t just her--all around the weakening water defenses, he saw the grimoires and the accompanying faces of all his Magic Knight captain colleagues, revealing themselves in their demon-possessed forms. To add insult to injury, Yami sensed the dying ki of his mentor, Julius Novachrono, in the air as he floated above them, wearing a sinister grin on his face. Around him, he saw his Black Bulls squad also on their knees, beginning to yield to the overwhelming numbers of the creatures of the underworld that possessed the figures of hope that they all would have latched on to during these troubling times.

In a chorus that sent shivers down everyone’s spines, all the demon-possessed and devils said, “ **In the name of King Abaddon, give up now feeble humans. In exchange for the lives of Prince Amon and the boy he possesses, your lives shall be ended swiftly.** **For the glory of the Underworld, for the end of the magic kingdoms, for the end of humanity itself!** ”

Yami grabbed his katana with a grip so tight that his knuckles whitened. _Tch. The one time I calculate the right odds and still, they’re not in our favor,_ thought Yami, looking back at the Black Bulls’ hideout. He observed the state of his squad: Vanessa was still attempting to pull back a nearly-dying Luck and Noelle; Gauche was still recovering thanks to Charmy’s mana-restoring food; Gordon was using his curse magic to remove the effects of a curse that the demon-possessed Charlotte inflicted on Gauche when she entangled him with her briars; Grey was passed out from mana exhaustion, vainly trying to transform demon-possessed Magic Knights; and Finral, Zora, and Secré were assumed to be dead since Yami didn’t sense their mana or ki on the teleporter trap-seal that Asta had, which wouldn’t deactivate even if the other somehow died, according to Zora when they first made the trap-seal. On top of that, they were completely surrounded by demon-possessed and devils. _Without Vanessa to call back Rouge, there’s no way of shifting these odds. Sorry, kid. I guess this time, we let you down_. He pulled out another cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag before slowly exhaling. Turning his attention up to the demon-possessed Wizard King, Yami scoffed, “Oi! I’m guessing you’re the bastard in charge of all of this? King Abad-o-whatever-his-name-is?”

Again, in unison, all the demon-possessed and devils answered, “ **You humans are fools to think that we would waste our breath answering your irrelevant questions.** ”

“Heh, uh, hate to rain on your parade, but didn’t you just technically waste your breath on trying to answer my question?” Yami deadpanned.

For once, silence fell over the battlefield as it appeared that the creatures of the underworld were outplayed. “ **It appears so. But our next breath will not be wasted. Now, witness the might of the legion of the Underworld!** ” The legion began to gather up negative mana, preparing themselves for a single, decisive blow that would have ended the lives of all that stood at the center of their attack. The legion was about to strike only to be cut off by an order to stand down. “ **Stand down!** ” said an unknown voice.

Rising from the ground with black tendrils that looked like the souls of the wretched trying to claw their way back up to the surface, the owner of the voice rose up, causing all the members of the legion to get down on one knee to show their allegiance. Yami couldn’t believe the figure that stood ten feet before him, but the ki he sensed said otherwise: unlike his underlings, the figure looked human, except for the fact that three long horns jutted out from his forehead and curved to the back of his head, resembling some kind of demonic crown; he wore knight-like armor in a color of black that seemed to eat the light around it; and he wielded a long pitchfork in his right hand and a sword that looked terrifyingly similar to Asta’s anti-magic Demon-Dweller Sword in his left. In addition to this, he emitted an aura that seemed like the sinister version of what Yami felt in the Shadow Palace from, according to Asta and Secré, the leader of the Elves and the first Wizard King. But the most shocking detail was the ki he felt--the same ki he felt from that raven-haired boy with amber-colored eyes that never left Asta’s side until one day he disappeared only to be found sitting on the throne of Spade Kingdom’s king. Yes, everything seemed evident now that the figure before him was undoubtedly Yuno.

“ **Hello, Captain Yami and the Black Bulls** ,” Yuno smirked. “ **It’s been a while hasn’t it?** ”

Calming his nerves unlike his squad, Yami plainly asked, “Why are you here, Yuno?”

“ **Yuno? Who is this Yuno? I am Abaddon, King of the Underworld** ,” mocked the Demon King.

“Alright. Let me rephrase that: why are you here, Yuno-look-alike?” Yami asked. He didn’t like where this was going, but his fatherly instincts to protect Asta kicked in the moment he heard the Demon King’s voice. It was creepy enough that the dude looked like Yuno, but it was even creepier hearing Yuno’s hollow voice, overpowered by the demon’s voice.

“ **Ah, but isn’t it simple, Captain Yami? Yuno sought power and solitude for his aching heart and I, being the merciful king that I am, granted his wish** ,” responded the Demon King. He was itching for a fight against a worthy human, losing his chance, twice now, thanks to a meddlesome Zagred who didn’t expect another power that could rival the Demon King’s. Unfortunately, just like Zagred and any other devil, he couldn’t fully materialize into the humans’ world unless he possessed a four-leaf grimoire and the body of its owner. All seemed lost until that fateful day when the supposed heir to the Spade Kingdom throne appeared before him, seeking to only ascend so as to end the war among the four kingdoms and bring forth an era of inter-kingdom peace. What’s more, it was the same boy he tried to possess earlier in his life but was bested by his son, Amon, who was stronger enough at the time to possess the boy’s foster brother thanks to him feeling more despair. The successful possession by his son prevented the Demon King from possessing the Yuno-boy because the high concentration of negative mana would have given away their positions, ruining their centuries-long plan, and if his legion found out that their king was the cause of it, they would come for his head, so Abaddon was forced to wait for the next time. But seeing that boy in front of him that day, he sensed a feeling of despair like no other--something that was planted and allowed to grow over the years. Yes, with him, Abaddon was easily able to possess him and take over his body and soul. Since then, all he had to do was patiently wait, slowly gathering and building his forces for the impending battle. He knew that unless his son’s host was able to control his son’s power, Abaddon could win the battle, but if centuries of observation proved him anything, it was that he should not underestimate his enemies, especially one that was able to best his strongest legion commander. It seemed that fortune had been favoring him when he received news that the boy was pregnant, meaning that he and Amon would be greatly weakened, giving the Demon King an opening to swipe back his son so that he could consume him and live on forever. It was how the Underworld ran after all--if a devil does not consume one of its offspring, it would not achieve the eternal life many sought.

“Bullshit. It’s pretty obvious that you tricked him,” accused the Black Bulls’ captain.

“ **Oh, and what if I did? What would a puny human like you do about it?** ” questioned the Demon King.

Yami was able to buy enough time for Vanessa to pull Noelle and Luck from their bondages and have them recover from Charmy’s food while Magna treated the two with first-aid. Realizing this was their last shot to clear a path for Asta and Leo’s escape, Yami took another long drag of his cigarette, savoring the brief warmth it gave to his body, exhaled, and stood up. Without looking back, Yami said, “Oi, kids. You know the drill.”

“Yeah, yeah, we got it, Boss,” said Magna, smirking as he dusted off his pants and helped Noelle and Luck up to their feet.

“Looks like my angel Marie will have to wait for me just a little longer,” stated Gauche, wiping the blood spilling from his nose.

“I guess this is it, huh? At least I got to fight some really strong people,” said Luck, grinning with excitement, tears beginning to fall from the corner of his eyes.

“Hmph. Luck, you know he’d be really disappointed in you for giving up so soon,” taunted Noelle, who could barely get the words out without gasping for air as she alluded to her best friend. _Yeah, he’d probably beat us all up for it if we survived this. Heh, how pathetic of me as a royal to let Big Brother Nozel attack me without putting up a fight_ , thought the purple-eyed royal.

“ **Oh? What have we here? What do you five have in store for the Demon King?** ” asked Abaddon mockingly, amused at the weak display of bravery.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Noelle, Luck, Magna, Gauche, and Yami began, “right here. Right now. We’re going to surpass our limits and beat you!”

The Demon King cackled. “ **Oh really? And how do you plan to do that?** ” grinned the Demon King fiendishly, the look not befitting of the vessel he occupied.

“Like this! **Compound Magic: Elemental Quintet** !” the five yelled as they carefully focused all the collective mana they had into one concentrated ball of fire, water, lightning, mirror light, and dark magic. Knowing that this would be their final attack, the five powered the blast with all the mana they could muster. Having the most mana control, Yami directed the attack and molded the ball of magic into a large beam that could easily cut the enemy’s numbers by at least a quarter, a large enough hole for the new family’s escape. Now all that was left was to place his bets that the sword the Demon King was holding was exactly like Asta’s. As he released the beam toward its intended target, the last thing Yami saw was a red thread of magic whip across his blurring field of vision. Crumbling to the ground, the five thought, _Asta, we leave everything to you!_

Pleased by the humans’ efforts, Abaddon said, “ **Alright, humans. I guess I’m feeling nice today, so I’ll entertain you. Show me your resolve!** ” The Demon King planted his pitchfork into the ground so that he could lift his Demon-Dweller Sword, pointing straight ahead as the beam of magic, traveled full-speed at him. As the last of the attack’s mana was absorbed, the sword became heavier than what the Demon King could handle. 

_Black Bulls’ Base, Outside_

_Yuno’s Mind_

**_Pathetic body. It can’t even handle this much mana. Once I consume Amon, I’ll just have to possess the other boy. Surely he wouldn’t disappoint me like this_ ** _,_ spat the Demon King.

Yuno, suspended by anti-magic chains that shackled to his wrists and ankles, looked up in shock. With labored breathing, Yuno rebutted, _That...wasn’t our...deal, Abaddon. You...promised me that...I could...have him...if I lead you to...them._

Abaddon cackled. He approached his raven-haired host’s soul, taking his chin between his thumb and index finger to lift his head up so that they could lock eyes, **_Why, of course, Your Highness_ ** , the Demon King smiled, **_even if I wanted to, I can’t. You know how your family’s curse works. Plus, I would never back out of our deal because_ ** , the Demon King placed a gentle kiss on his host’s lips, grabbing his cheek when they parted, **_I am the only one who can and will ever love you._ **

Smiling at the viridian eyes of the figure that the Demon King took, Yuno conceded, _How...foolish of...me. Thank you, my love._

_Black Bulls’ Base, Outside_

_As Captain Yami, Noelle, Magna, Luck, and Gauche fall_

_Vanessa’s POV_

Everyone was acting crazy but then again, when are the Black Bulls not? With Charmy and Gordon expending all their mana from helping their squadmates recover, Vanessa was the last one standing aside from the five idiots standing before her. _He’s an even bigger diot!_ thought Vanessa. _Captain Yami had to have noticed that sword right? If it’s anything like Asta’s why would he_ …eyes widening at the realization, Vanessa scrambled to concentrate her mana as fast as she could to summon Rouge. If what she thought was correct, then all she had to do was place Captain Yami’s bet in their favor. Summoning the **Red Thread of Fate** , she willed the small kitten to tap Gauche, Noelle, Magna, Luck, then Yami, which was seriously a miscalculation on her part because Yami was closer to the Yuno-looking figure, meaning that he would’ve taken the brunt of the damage. Luckily, she had enough mana to make Rouge move faster, allowing the kitten to just barely graze the captain’s heel. Before she blacked out, she willed the kitten to return to Asta. _Asta, I leave everything to you!_ she thought before darkness consumed her.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Inside_

_Mid-Battle, just before King Abaddon appears_

_What the hell is going on out there?_ thought Asta, sharing a look of concern with his husband as they tried to hush their crying infants back to sleep. The labor pains had just begun to take a toll on the grey-haired mother’s body, but the rumbles outside accompanied by some dust falling from the ceiling in the old-fashioned magical manor that Henry controlled brought a rush of adrenaline that Asta only felt during intense battles with enemies (or Leo), silencing any physical distress he would have felt. It had been what felt like hours now since Noelle and Vanessa stepped out of the base to help in the ensuing battle. It didn’t help that Vanessa’s **Red Thread of Fate** was dwindling away little by little into a pile of red string, reflecting the gradual deterioration of its spellcaster’s mana. Also, Henry decided to use his recombination magic to rearrange the interior so that the common room that the family was staying in was now layered with another thirty feet of concrete slabs on all sides, preventing Asta from looking out the window, making him even more anxious.

As if knowing the growing anxiety his husband felt, Leo adjusted their positions first by cautiously grabbing the now-sleeping infants with the paws of his fire lion cloak and placing them in the cribs that Yami had bought for the couple as a wedding gift, joking that it was definitely big enough considering the most likely outcome of his and Asta’s hyperactive sex life. Now leaning against the couch’s arm with both legs surrounding Asta’s strong but delicate figure, it gave Asta a chance to use his chest as a pillow. It was a position that Leo happened to discover one night when the couple’s romance was still fresh, and Asta was over at the Vermillion residence, back from a mission that brought back bad memories. He still remembered how Asta’s trembling form was able to calm down almost instantly as he stroked his hair while humming an old tune that his mother, Marisol, used to hum to make him fall asleep whenever he had nightmares. As the battle outside continued, Leo shuddered, suddenly sensing a more-sinister mana outside. He knew Asta felt it as well because his body slightly tensed before relaxing again. “Something wrong, love?”

Knowing that Leo understood him so well, even with the most subtle hints, still made Asta’s heart skip a beat. Relaxing his body so as to not make his husband worry, he calmly lied, “Nothing, love. I’m just a bit worried about everyone outside is all. It just doesn’t feel right letting others take all the glory.” In reality, Asta dreaded it. Maybe when he first met them, he wouldn’t have felt this way but ever since that day, even when he decided to switch squads, the Black Bulls were like his second family.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Inside_

_The moment King Abaddon appears_

_Asta’s Mind_

Asta gasped at the feeling of a familiar ki that appeared to be enveloped in sinister mana that was equally, if not more, powerful than what he felt in his fight with Licht and the first Wizard King. _No...it can’t be. Please, tell me I’m wrong…_

**_He’s here_ ** _,_ stated Amon who was busy collecting mana for _that_ spell until he sensed his father’s presence. **_I’m sorry, kid. That is most certainly_ ** **him** **_and Abaddon is most certainly in control._ **

The announcement that someone was possessing his foster brother, Yuno, was enough to make his blood boil, but he didn’t know if he was angry with the devil who had nefarious intentions for his own son or the fact that Yuno let himself get possessed for whatever reason that may have been. _Why, Yuno? Why? Why did you have to run away? Why did you have to let yourself get possessed? Why did you have to-_

**_Kid, calm down for a second will you?_** **_Your thoughts are ruining my concentration_** ,” Amon scolded his host. Seeing the trembling figure before him brought back some not-so-fond memories that the old Amon would have delighted in, but now just made him worried (which he still didn’t admit). Letting out a sigh of irritation (but mostly concern), the Demon Prince said, **_Focus, kid. Now’s not the time to ask questions. Now’s the time to act._**

_How can you be so sure of your words, Amon? Doesn’t the presence of your dad make you the least bit worried?_ Asta asked.

**_Honestly, kid, I could give a rat’s ass about that bastard. But, I can’t shake off the feeling that something’s wrong with him--he seems...off today. I just can’t put my finger on what exactly it is. Look, I know that I haven’t been the best friend you could ask for, hell, I possessed you and tried to take over your body for fuck’s sake, but you’re the only friend I have, so just trust me on this, ok?_ ** pleaded Amon.

Knowing that his demon friend only meant well, even in the earlier days of their relationship, everytime his demon asked for his host’s trust, Asta didn’t doubt him one bit. Still, Asta couldn’t help but grin at his demon’s confession.

**_Hmm? The fuck’s wrong with you now?_ **asked Amon in an overly curious tone.

_You just called me your “friend”_ , chuckled Asta.

Rolling his eyes and rubbing his nape, the Demon Prince could only grumble, **_Yeah, so? Whatever...you little shit._ **

_Black Bulls’ Base, Inside_

_Common Room_

_While Leo comforts Asta after King Abaddon’s arrival_

“Hey, Leo,” Asta quietly called his husband’s name, who was gently stroking his hair.

“Yes, love?” responded Leo.

“If something ever happens to me, I want you to take good care of our kids, alright? And before you say anything, hear me out. Neither of us know what’ll be the outcome of tonight’s battle, but one thing is certain: I will do everything I can to help our kids survive this, even if it means laying down my life. And if that happens, and I mean a big if, ‘cause you know how hard I am to beat when I’ve got something or someone to protect, I’m willing to let you go. I’m giving you an out as long as you promise to take care of the kids ‘cause you know that they need at least one of their actual parents with them. I never, ever, never want them to go through what I did,” Asta blurted out, biting his lower lip to hold back a sob as he thought about the inevitable conclusion to the ongoing battle.

Taken aback, Leo took a moment to gather his thoughts. He wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist, holding him in a tight embrace, and kissed the top of his head. “Asta, my love. Although you weren’t my first fling, you were the first and only person I was able to and will ever truly love. I can’t do this without you, so I won’t make you that promise because you’re gonna be stuck with me forever, no matter what happens, meaning that you’ll have to stay alive until we both die old and wrinkly. You hear me, Asta Vermillion?”

This time, it was Asta’s turn to be taken aback by his husband’s heartfelt response. “Of course, Leopold Vermillion,” Asta whispered softly, hiding his eyes in his bangs because tears were starting to fall. This was going to be harder than he had originally thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just found some time during the move to post this since it seems some of you are interested in the story. Again, please be patient. I'm a busy person.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Black Bulls’ Base, Outside_

_After King Abaddon absorbs the Black Bulls’ final magic attack with his Demon-Dweller Sword_

The Demon King gritted his teeth and gripped the glowing anti-magic sword with both hands. Not noticing the red ball of yarn that was making its way around his opponents, the Demon King used all the strength his host’s body could muster and focused his aim on his nearly-dead adversaries. The Demon King was still trying to understand the power of this particular sword since it was the only thing he could perfectly copy from his son’s triple-sword arsenal over the centuries before that day when they both attempted to possess their respective hosts. The positive mana-absorbing properties the sword had was easy enough to understand, but he didn’t know how to release the mana it absorbed. This would have been a lot easier if he actually had a capable host, since he would have been able to just absorb the positive mana and freely experiment on its release properties without worry of cracking under the exponential weight-gain the sword had upon mana absorption. Truly, this vessel he had was just utterly worthless. Now, he was left to guess how to release the absorbed mana. **_What if I tried to slash at them? No, without complete control over or synergy with the host’s soul, this body’s strength is limited to Yuno’s strength, and this piece of trash is extremely strong, but he still does not have enough strength to lift and guide the blade accurately. At this rate, if I did try to slash, I’d end up wiping out half my army in the process_** , thought the Demon King. If the sword was a perfect copy of his son’s, then he knew that despite the humans’ weaker mana attack that would have injured him but wiped out any devils or demon-possessed behind him had he not absorbed it, he was aware of one release property--that depending on the user, one could release the absorbed mana with at least twice its original strength. ** _The only alternative that I can think of at the moment is to just concentrate the blast. Yes, that’s better than nothing and would surely wipe out those humans since I’ll have at least some control over the accuracy. I need to act quick though, for I sense that my son and his host seem to be planning something so if I desire to have a decisive victory, I’ll need this sword._** The Demon King did just that: targets locked on, he let out a frustrated sigh to improve his concentration and lifted the ridiculously heavy Demon-Dweller Sword, pointing its tip at the unconscious pests before him. (Un)fortunately for him, his guess was correct in that he could concentrate a blast, but his aim was off, causing him to miss above his intended targets. The blast itself was enough to disintegrate almost the entire building before him (which also killed Henry in the process as he was occupying his room that was in the area of the blast’s effect) and about a third of his legion that was standing behind the building relative to his position. Astonished by its power, the Demon King wickedly smirked and said, “ **It seems I underestimated you humans. Fortune appeared to be on your side. I am impressed, though. So, in exchange for that, I will make your deaths swift.** ” The Demon King then opened his grimoire and recited a spell, “ **Word Soul Magic: Heal...what?** ” The Demon King’s eyes widened at the sight: his word soul magic could only heal the bodies of his legionnaires that did not fully disintegrate from the blast. **_Hmm, it must have been the dark magic that was infused in those humans’ magic blast._** The Demon King hummed, “ **Humans...you never cease to amaze me. But no matter** ,” he focused his attention on the set of wide viridian eyes that were possessed by his son’s soul, “ **their lives were meaningless to the cause. Hello there, Asta. Daddy’s come to take his son back.** ”

“Yu...no…,” gasped Asta.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins_

_Immediately after the blast from King Abaddon’s Demon-Dweller Sword_

_Asta’s Mind_

Eyes bulging out of their sockets, Asta was at a loss for words. Really, he didn’t know how to describe the feelings he felt. Was he enraged that he no longer sensed Henry’s mana or felt his ki? Was he frustrated with himself as he saw the injured, unconscious bodies of his second family? Whatever he felt, the predominating sentiment was guilt--guilt as he locked on to those amber-colored eyes that reflected the infinite despair its owner’s soul felt the moment they saw his viridian-colored eyes. _Captain Yami...Vanessa...Noelle...everyone. Yuno...why? What? When? How?_ , Asta questioned, mind going a mile a minute.

**_Kid! Focus! That isn’t your Yuno! Yuno is being possessed by that bastard! He can’t hear you--he’s trapped under his control_ **, yelled Amon, trying to knock some sense into his host.

Gritting his teeth while he tried to help his husband calm his now-crying infants, Asta pleaded with his demon friend, _I have to save him...I have to save Yuno...After everything he’s done for me. Please, Amon_.

**_You can, kid! Remember? We’re gonna use_ ** **that** **_spell! Of course, you can save them! You can save all of them. But you can’t if you don’t get your head out of your ass and focus!_ ** replied the Demon Prince.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins_

_Immediately after the blast from King Abaddon’s Demon-Dweller Sword_

_Yuno’s Mind_

_Asta!_ the bound raven-haired boy yelled from his suspended prison. To say that Yuno was speechless was an understatement as he saw Asta after who knows how long? Seeing him again with his husband and--what were those three crying bundles? Their kids...his nephews--set off a switch that he thought was gone when he ran away and allowed himself to be possessed by King Abaddon. Trying to break free from his shackles, but to no avail, Yuno yelled out at his demon, _Let me go, you bastard! The deal’s off! I don’t give a fuck if I can’t get my Asta’s heart anymore. Just let everyone go and take me!_

**_Oh? It seems seeing the man who never loved you the way you wanted to has lit a flame in you that I’ve never seen before. Seeing you like this makes me want to let you go. Nevertheless, Your Highness, a deal’s a deal, especially with a devil. You can’t revoke it now_ **, stated the Demon King.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins_

_Immediately after the blast from King Abaddon’s Demon-Dweller Sword_

The Demon King smirked his evil smirk and asked mockingly, “ **_What’s the matter, Asta? Cat got your tongue?_ ** _”_

Leo didn’t know what was going on, but he knew for sure that the figure before him was not Yuno at all. Fire lion cloak activated to cover his kids, Leo grabbed Asta’s waist and pulled him close. “Look, I don’t know who the hell you are, but my husband doesn't have to answer to the likes of you! You’re not Yuno. Yuno would never do such a thing, you bastard!”

“ **Hmm? What’s this? Did I hear ‘husband’?** ” asked Abaddon, intrigued. “ **And what seems to be those little things you’re trying so hard to protect? Oh no...it can’t be** ,” spoke the Demon King in a sarcastic tone. “ **Could those be your kids? Could those be my nephews? How...delicious** ,” he said, with a deeper, more eerie tone at the last word, licking his lips, revealing an absurdly long snake’s tongue.

“ **Hello, Abaddon, or should I say goodbye?** ” said Asta, who allowed his demon to take over his consciousness so that he could converse with his father. This gave Leo shudders because Asta rarely let his demon talk for him. It was just beyond creepy mainly because the all-powerful Demon Prince’s voice did not match the small frame of an Asta, still wearing his white infirmary gown and his vice-captain’s cape. (Author: Think scrawny Rick Astley singing “Never Gonna Give You Up”--that’s what I mean by his voice not matching his body)

“ **Oh, Amon, my dear son. I’m hurt by those words** ,” the Demon King faked a pout as he brought his hand to his chest. “ **And calling me by my first name? How disrespectful. Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson.** ”

“ **No one’s teaching anyone a lesson, you bastard-for-a-father. The only thing that’s happening is me ending you** ,” replied the infuriated Demon King’s son.

Grinning at the brave act, the Demon King said, “ **You’re right, my son. Let’s end this so I can consume your soul.** ” With that, the Demon King flipped a page in his grimoire and recited, “ **Word Soul Magic: Storm of Blades**.” The Demon King was aware that word soul magic didn’t belong to him since he stole only some of it from Zagred before the idiot decided to make his move on the humans, so the very useful magic was restricted to five phrases before he had to rest and recover. Unfortunately, he was now limited to three, having used one in an attempt to revive his legionnaires and another to call on a storm of blades. He had to choose his next words very carefully because they could be the deciding factor in his victory.

Recognizing the string of words, Asta hastily acted upon reflex. Summoning his grimoire, he drew out a black Demon-Destroyer Sword and recited, “ **Sword Magic: Durga’s Wrath-Stage Two!** ” Sending a hundred slashes of mana at the incoming projectiles, he was able to destroy those generated by mana and parry the physical ones before any could even touch him or his family. After the spell, Asta coughed up some blood and fell to one knee as he gasped for air. _Damnit! I’m still not recovered yet! The effects of the pregnancy are already bringing me to my physical limit_ , thought Asta. **_Shit. You ok, kid?_ ** asked the demon in his thoughts. Half-smiling, Asta snorted and boldly replied, _Since when were you one to worry about me? I’ve never felt better._

“Asta! Are you ok?” he asked, brows furrowed in concern upon noticing the small puddle of blood on the ground.

Between breaths, Asta calmly replied, “Never...better, love.”

“You’re overexerting yourself again. Don’t put on a brave face. I know your body is still recovering from the pregnancy,” stated Leo matter-of-factly as he gently rubbed his husband’s back while he heaved.

“ **Excellent, excellent! So the rumors are true, Asta. You will be a formidable opponent, but it looks like that pregnancy has taken a toll on your body. If I could, I would pity you** ,” chuckled the Demon King. _No, he’s no joke. If I don’t end this quickly, he might be able to recover enough mana to drag this battle out. Though I might end up victorious in the end, I’ll risk losing my entire army to this boy_ , he thought, carefully calculating the possibilities, _but first, I need to break him_ . “ **Demons of the Legion of the Underworld, heed your king’s command! Attack these worthless scum!** ” With that, the demon-possessed non-Magic Knights mindlessly charged forward at the Vermillion family while the demon-possessed Magic Knights fired their attack spells, seeming to know better than to charge at the couple.

Asta was about to call up another spell only to be cut off by another coughing fit. Leo placed the crying infants down gently next to their mother. He turned around and stood to place himself between Asta and the Demon King that looked like Yuno. Increasing the strength of his mana skin cloak to mostly cover the people behind him (but enough to still protect himself), Leo crossed his arms, breathed deeply, and spoke, “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what your intentions are, but anyone who attempts to hurt those I love will pay with their head.” The flames of his fire lion cloak erupted, now resembling a lion’s head that would have intimidated any other enemy, with Leo and his family at its center, Leo yelled, “Witness the power of the Vermillions and burn! **Fire Creation Magic: Mana Zone: Ignus Columna and Wild Bursting Flames!** ” With that, the lion’s head turned into a column of fire that surrounded the couple and their children in a barrier that protected them from all the magic attacks while incinerating any demon-possessed commoner that dared to step through it. The second spell was a barrage of fireballs that grew from the column of fire, firing at all directions and similarly igniting anything it touched, only mildly injuring any Magic Knights that were hit by the volley of flames.

As the flames died down and returned to protecting the family, the Demon King scoffed, “ **I suppose a father’s duty to protect gives him the power to surpass his limits. As a father myself, I commend you for that, Leopold Vermillion.** ” Surveying the aftermath of the young father’s attack/defense, Abaddon noticed that the boy was able to increase the legion’s casualties back to the one-third that he himself caused, being unable to control the power from the Demon-Dweller Sword’s release. _Tch. Even though I can use my word soul magic to revive my lost legionnaires thereby negating the fire-magic boy’s attack/defense, it wouldn’t be worth it because then I would lose another use, which I can’t afford if I want to end this battle quickly_ , the Demon King thought, _but still, I have to make him pay, otherwise I’d look weak in front of my subjects, risking the morale I need to carry forth the invasion. Who knows? Maybe it might be enough to break the kid._ Smiling, he continued his rant, “ **But do you really think these people matter at all to me? Every battle has its casualties, but all that matters in the end is who wins! Word Soul Magic: Storm of Blades!** ”

Eyes widening at the spell, Leo turned around to instinctively cup his husband and protect his kids from the impending attack. As the blades rained down, his fire lion cloak was able to disintegrate the mana-made swords, but it wasn’t enough to protect him from the physical swords that pierced through his left lung, grazing his heart, his right shoulder, the middle of his abdomen, and his right calf. The pain coursing through his body, Leo could only cough up blood, which splattered onto Asta’s cheek. In his last effort to comfort his husband, he grabbed his nape and brought their foreheads together. Looking into those grief-stricken viridian eyes that he always fell in love with every time he looked into them, Leo could only close his eyes, give him a comforting smile, and mouth those last three words: _I love you_. With his shoulders slumped and his head slipping onto Asta’s shoulder, he let out one last contented sigh before he let the darkness consume him.

The whole world was at a standstill at that very moment. Asta didn’t hear the Yuno-looking figure’s maniacal laughter or his children’s cries, louder, it seemed, as if they understood what just happened to their father. Hands trembling as he held on to his first love, gently shaking him to bring some semblance of life back into his body, Asta could only let out a whimper as tears flowed down his cheeks, “L-L-Leo...come on now, love. Stop joking a-around. Wake up, Leo...W-w-wake up, Leopold...be-before I k-kill you.” Asta knew his efforts were in vain, but he didn’t want to believe it. He let out a blood-curdling scream as he yelled his lover’s name towards the heavens, bringing him closer and capturing his limp body in a tight hug, disregarding all the blood that stained his face and his once-white infirmary clothes. After a moment of silence, Amon grimaced, **_Come on, kid. Focus. You have to-_ **

Amon’s words were cut off by the Demon King’s deranged laughter. “ **And the little shrimp breaks. But, knowing the strength of your will from the Yuno-boy’s memories, this is not enough. I don’t just want to break your will. No, I want to shatter your soul!** he exclaimed, as he called upon one of the demon-possessed spatial Magic Knights (Finral, was it?) to bring forth a familiar group of people. Looking back at his son’s hosts, he saw his eyes bulge out of their sockets--a look of pure horror as he beheld his orphanage family, blindfolded, shackled, gagged so as to muffle their cries for help. Abaddon hummed, “ **Hmm. It seems to me that you recognize these people, huh? Well, I guess I’ll be nice...and let you say goodbye.** ” The moment he heard the grey-haired boy scream a plea to stop the madness, Abaddon grinned and activated his spell, “ **Word Soul Magic: Iron Spears.** ” The boy’s screams reached a deafening pitch as he saw physical iron spikes erupt from the ground, precisely piercing the hearts and napes of all the people in front him, killing them instantly; this was music to Abaddon’s ears. Pulling his pitchfork that was planted in the ground and approaching the unconscious bodies of Asta’s former squadmates, he prepared to puncture all of them at once by manipulating his pitchfork to grow extra prongs. As he raised the pitchfork to deliver the fatal blow, the Demon King looked up at those lifeless viridian eyes and said, “ **This is your last chance, child. Give me Amon, and your friends’ pathetic lives shall be spared.** ” The Demon King waited for an answer but only heard a whimper of defeat. “ **No answer? Heh, looks like they don’t matter to you after all!** ” With that, the Demon King delivered the final blow, piercing through the hearts of his victims. After the act, he stood there, putting his hands on his hips, and grinned like a madman, admiring his work of art.

Asta wanted to give up. His friends, his family, and his husband were all dead because of the Yuno-looking figure before him. The only thing that knocked him out of his daze was his demon friend, who yelled, **_Get a hold of yourself, kid! Look, I’m sorry for what my father did to your loved ones. But moping in despair won’t bring them back. But you know what will. Get yourself together! We’ve got to end this now before more people become victims of my father’s treachery._ ** Slightly waking up from his demon’s motivational rant, Asta was fully awake the moment he looked down at the cooing forms before him, who were all looking up with viridian-colored eyes and smiling with toothless grins, reaching for their mother with their soft, tiny hands. The display was enough to piece back Asta’s shattered heart, making him smile warmly. Just then, an unexpected light-bulb turned on in his head. Asta took out the portable quill and ink and quickly wrote a single word on each of his babies’ blankets. _Captain Yami, you piece of crap. I can’t believe you called it_ , thought Asta, as he smiled at his handiwork. Asta planted a soft kiss on each of his sons’ foreheads and then his husband’s, thinking, _I’m sorry, my love. I can’t take away these boys’ father. I hope you can forgive me._ Turning his focus back to the Yuno-looking figure, Asta closed his eyes briefly and took in a deep breath to calm his nerves, the moment he let it out, he stood up, flaring his mana that cracked the ground beneath him and made some demon-possessed Magic Knights cower in fear. _Thank you, Amon, for the words of encouragement. I don’t know what became of me back there. Are you ready? Because I don’t plan on holding back against your father_ , Asta thought. **_No problem, kid. I’ve been ready. You better make this one good ass-whooping_ **, laughed Amon. Asta opened his eyes and looked coldly at the Demon King and hissed, “You know, one person against an entire army doesn’t really seem fair, King Abaddon.”

Originally awestruck by the grey-haired boy’s sudden surge in power, the Demon King was quick to compose himself and calmly ask, “ **Oh really? And how do you suppose I can make it fair for you?** ”

Asta snorted and turned a page of his grimoire. “Idiot. I didn’t mean it wasn’t fair for me,” he said, flaring up his mana even more, lighting up the night-sky, “I meant it wasn’t fair for you. **Demon Light Magic: Mana Zone: Lamp of Avior-Gloria!** ” With that, Asta lifted his hand to call upon columns of dark light around him that, though not strong enough to kill since he knew some of his victims were his fellow Magic Knights, knocked out the entire devil army, save the Demon King. After the attack died down, he looked at the last person of the underworld army left standing and cheekily grinned. “Get what I mean?”

This time, it was Abaddon’s turn to be befuddled, taking a step back in fear before realizing what he had done. Immediately, he braced himself and stood his ground. **_So this is the boy at full-power, huh? Amon, you lucky bastard_ ** , thought the Demon King. Knowing he had one chance left with his word-soul magic, he said, “ **I guess I underestimated you again, human. But, I still win...Word Soul Magic: Come.** ” With that, an invisible force lifted the grey-haired boy up and pushed him toward the spellcaster, who was holding up his Demon-Dweller Sword towards the approaching human, its point itching to taste blood. In an unexpected turn of events, before he could stab Asta, the Demon King felt his host’s body move against his command, causing the invisible pushing force to stop Asta just a millimeter from piercing his skin. In a strained voice, Yuno pleaded, “A-Asta...pl-please hur...ry...please...k-kill me.”

Shocked at what happened, Asta didn’t (or rather, couldn’t) believe he heard Yuno’s voice; he thought the Demon King was just playing another trick on him, but the moment he saw a single tear fall down his cheek, he knew. Asta knew that that was his Yuno asking him for help. **_Hurry, kid! Now’s your chance!_ ** yelled Amon in his head. Grinning, Asta grabbed the sword and stabbed himself with it, allowing himself to connect his mind with Yuno’s. 

Though it should have absorbed Asta’s mana, Amon tapped the lines with the negative mana he built up, allowing him to inhibit his father’s Demon-Dweller Sword’s positive-mana absorbing properties. Tapping with the sword also gave him a chance to accompany Asta as he connected with Yuno’s mind. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the Demon Prince wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins_

_Immediately after Asta stabbed himself with King Abaddon’s Demon-Dweller Sword_

_Yuno’s Mind_

Amon grabbed his father’s throat with his black claws and slammed him to the ground, bringing a knee to his chest to restrain him. Looking into those merciless red eyes, Amon greeted his father, **_Hello, Abaddon. Long time, no see. Did you miss me?_ **

Squirming under his son’s unwavering grip, he grabbed the wrist of the hand that was restraining him in a feeble attempt to escape. Gasping for air (is there air in the mind realm?), he said, **_Unhand me at once, you pathetic-excuse-for-a-son!_ **

Tightening his grip more, Amon couldn’t help but cackle. **_That should be my line, you bastard-for-a-father. No, I don’t think I will. I think I’ll just eat you right here, right now. That way I can destroy your dreams of eternal life as payback for what you did to Asta’s loved ones_ **, he threatened.

Shivering at the threat, Abaddon retorted, **_So you’ve grown fond of that human? No matter because I know that you wouldn’t dare._ **

**_Oh wouldn’t I?_ **sneered Amon as he unhinged his jaw and began to swallow his father’s head. Though he originally didn’t want to do this, he had other intentions that required this vile act be executed. That didn’t mean that he didn’t enjoy his father’s screams of agony, a once-proud king pleading to be spared by the hands of his own son.

Asta didn’t know what Amon intended to do but if it meant the Demon King’s destruction, he let his demon be--what kind of host would he be if he didn’t follow through with the promise he made to his demon friend of letting him loose? Rather than continue watching the horrific act, he turned to a fragile Yuno, who was wide-eyed, awake, and on the verge of tears. Snorting, Asta huffed, _Well don’t look at me like that, you multi-talented, handsome jerk_ . He slashed at the chains that kept Yuno bound, using his Demon-Destroyer Sword, catching him as the raven-haired boy fell forward. Giving him a tight squeeze, Asta let out a contented sigh and said, _I missed you, Yuno. Welcome back._

_A-Asta_ , was all Yuno could say as he buried his cheek deeper into Asta’s neck.

Rubbing his back, as he let his foster brother cry on his shoulder, just like the old days, he tried to hush the trembling figure, saying, _Shhh, hey now. You’re gonna be alright, Yuno. Everything’s gonna be just fine._ With that, he willed open a portal behind him that would lead them back to reality. He grabbed Yuno’s shoulders and looked deep into those tormented amber-colored eyes that he sought comfort in when they were younger and smiled. _Are you ready to go?_

Setting his on the viridian-colored eyes before him ushered in a wave of relaxation that he hadn’t felt for so long. Smiling, Yuno wiped his eyes with his forearm and nodded. Taking Asta’s hand as he led them both back to reality.

Taking one last glance at his demon friend, ignoring the deplorable act he was engaged in, Asta asked, _I guess you’ve got everything under control here, Amon?_ Seeing the Demon Prince give him a black thumbs-up with his claw-for-a-thumb, Asta couldn’t help but shake his head and smile at the friendly gesture. _I guess I’ll see you on the other side._ With that, he pulled Yuno into the blinding light, back to reality.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins_

_Early morning, immediately after Asta stabbed himself with King Abaddon’s Demon-Dweller Sword_

Eyes widening at the new sensations he felt, Yuno began trembling as he felt blood drip onto the hand that gripped an exact copy of Asta’s Demon-Dweller Sword. Looking down, he saw a sight that he never thought would happen in a million lifetimes: Asta, in a white blood-stained gown and his Crimson Lion Kings Vice-Captain’s cape, was looking up with a quivering smile as he held the blade of Yuno’s sword that was piercing through his stomach, a pool of blood at their feet.

“Hey there, Big Bro,” said Asta quietly, struggling to stay conscious due to severe blood loss, coughing up more blood as he struggled for air, “it’s been a mad minute, hasn’t it? I missed you so much.”

Tears welling up in his eyes, Yuno mewled, “A-Asta...what is...what have I done?”

Furrowing his brows, Asta frowned, “You didn’t do anything, Yuno. This was all the Demon King’s fault.” He reached up to cup his foster brother’s cheek, who leaned into it to get a better feel. Gently rubbing it, he let out a sigh of disappointment, “I’m gonna miss all of this when this is over.”

Yuno felt his chest tighten at those words. In a shaky breath, he asked, “W-What do you mean ‘when this is over’? What are you planning to do, Asta?”

Calling up his grimoire that levitated between them, he let go of Yuno’s face to rip off all the pages except for that of his Demon-Destroyer Sword and placed each one carefully onto the flat of his blade, each page being absorbed, powering up the sword for the spells he was planning to use. Deciding that now was the right time to let out all the word-vomit, Asta said, “Yuno, everyone’s missed you. I’ve missed you more than anyone else. I don’t know why you ended up in the Spade Kingdom when you told me you wanted to stay here in Clover to fix your issues with everyone’s help, but I know that you had your reasons. I can’t say that I’m not disappointed in what you let yourself become, but I know that you fought tooth and claw to fix your mistakes, including this one, because how else would I have been able to find that opening to save you? I can’t say that I’m happy either of what must be done to fix all of this and set everyone, including you, back on the right path. This won’t be the end of the human race because I won’t allow it. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done and what I’ve become, and I’m glad that before I go, I was able to save you because my kids--your nephews--are gonna need all the guidance they can receive to get through life without their mother. At first, people are gonna blame you for everything, and it pains me to not be able to defend you like I always did when we were little but, call it a hunch, I think--no--I know you’ll be strong enough to prove them wrong. Once you get past that, they’ll need someone to lead them into battle to end the war between the humans and devils before it even begins. Whispering as if Leo were still around to overhear them, Asta leaned in closer and added, “Don’t tell Leo I told you this, I only trust you to do that.” Touching his face, he felt a familiar fluid that seeped from his eyes. “Oh, would you look at that? I’ve made myself cry. I’m a real mess right now from all those hormones and what not.”

Like he always did before, Yuno whispered, quiet enough for only himself to hear, “A-Asta, I love you.”

Asta continued, “Anyways, before I cast the spells, my parting gifts to you all, I want you to take care of the kids and take care of the kingdom for me when I’m gone. I guess you could consider this my big, fat ‘thank you’ gift to you for having stuck by my side no matter what ever since _that_ day. And no, before you ask, that’s not a question--that’s an order. Oh, last but not least, I want to apologize because I’m gonna have to concede our race to become Wizard King. So Yuno, I want you to promise me that you’ll protect my kids, Leo, Sister Lily, Father Orsi, the kids at the orphanage, everyone and bring forth peace over Clover Kingdom, proving to everyone that anyone, rich or poor, royal or peasant, can become the Wizard King as long as they work hard. I want you to promise me that you’ll become the Wizard King for the both of us. I want you to-”

“Asta,” Yuno said, cutting off the grey-haired boy from his word-vomit.

“Huh? What’s up?” asked Asta curiously.

Gathering up all the courage he could muster, he just said it, the four words he’d been hiding under lock-and-key for his entire life, “Asta, I love you.” He looked down at the man he loved since he could remember, who paused at the confession, having finished feeding his Demon-Destroyer Sword with his grimoire’s pages.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Asta concentrated all the mana he had, which surprised him a little since it was still a lot, and recited the incantation, “ **Forbidden Magic: Art of Sacrificial Rebirth and Age of Enlightenment.** ” Feeling almost all his mana, his lifeforce, and his humanity slowly recede from the two spells, he grabbed the Demon-Dweller Sword that was embedded in his stomach, immediately connecting him to all the souls affected by the more-than-likely-dead Demon King, and gripped his own Demon-Destroyer Sword. “ **Demon-Destroyer Sword: Fate Release.** ” Feeling the last of his mana and humanity fade away, once he felt the effects of the Demon-Destroyer Sword were delivered, Asta grabbed Yuno’s nape and rested his forehead on his, an endearing gesture the two shared since Asta could remember. Chuckling lightly, Asta said his final words, “It only took a Demon King, a Demon Prince, a devil army, three kids, and a husband for you to finally say it, you handsome idiot. I’ve always known, Yuno, but I just wanted to give you the chance to say it yourself. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to and will not be able to return the feelings in the same way you hoped,” pulling him closer, Asta planted a kiss on his forehead, and returned to touching foreheads, locking his eyes with those loving amber-colored eyes for the last time, “but just know this: whatever has happened, whatever will happen, Yuno, I have and always will love you.” With the final confession, Asta stood back up and grinned his signature grin, immediately turning into stone.

Hearing those words, feeling only pure love from them, accompanied by those actions but unable to form a response as the only person he ever loved that, at first, glowing as radiant as the sun, turned into stone right before his eyes, Yuno finally did something that he swore he would never do ever since that day: he cried his heart out. “ASTA,” he wailed, reducing to a quiet weep, “how could you give up?...please...come back.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just thought that it was unfair to hold back on completing this arc of the story, so here you go I guess.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_ Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins _

_ Minutes after Asta turns into stone _

Leo woke up to crying. Turning his head, he saw that Asta wasn’t there to soothe their triplets to sleep. Parental instincts kicking in, he stood up, activating his fire lion’s cloak, and picked up his three kids, carefully rocking them back to sleep. Leo looked around for Asta, but his search was cut short by the sight of the formerly-demon-possessed Clover Kingdom citizens standing perfectly fine, confusion written all over their faces. Sharing the same thoughts as all the Magic Knights around him, something was not right, especially since he now felt Henry’s mana-draining abilities when he vaguely remembered no longer sensing it when the top half of the Black Bulls’ hideout was disintegrated by a magic blast a couple of hours ago. Still lost in his thoughts, he was approached by an equally confused Captain Yami.

“Hey, kid. Do you know what the hell’s going on?” asked Captain Yami as he looked around trying to gather up any information.

“I honestly have no idea, Captain Yami,” replied Leo honestly.

“Hmm, I could’ve sworn I died just a second ago from that weird-looking dude that called himself the ‘Demon King’ or whatever,” Yami wondered out loud.

Feeling his hairs stand up at the name, Leo brushed the Black Bulls’ captain aside, and looked for the Yuno-looking figure that he distinctly remembered fighting just a couple of seconds ago. Before he could do anything though, Leo was greeted by a starry-eyed Julius Novachrono, who defused the tense moment.

“Ohhh, Leo. Are you holding my godchildren? Can I take a peek?” asked the dead-but-not-dead Wizard King, who, shockingly, looked like his former forty-two year-old self, stunning Leo for a brief moment before remembering the Wizard King asked him a question.

“Uh...yeah. Sure, I guess. Also, Julius, you’re not the godfather,” stated Leo plainly.

Biting back a sob, Julius said, “I know, I know. Don’t remind me. But hey, you can never have too many god-relatives, right? Just more love to pass around.”

Smiling at the assertion, Leo snorted and said, “I suppose.” With that, he lowered the paw that was holding his kids to allow the Wizard King to see.

“So, have you and Asta decided on names yet?” asked Julius.

“No, I can’t say that we have. I thought we already told you that we’d just let you know, so why do you ask?” Leo questioned in return.

Pointing a finger at the black ink on each of the babies’ blankets, Julius said, “Because it seems to me that Asta must’ve decided for the both of you.” Julius already knew something major happened involving Asta the moment he woke up and noticed that he was several inches taller and sensed his pageless grimoire floating atop Kira Castle in the Royal Capital, but he just didn’t want to say anything until he gathered enough information, taking into account what the hot-headed Vermillion’s reaction would be at the mention of Asta’s name. Also, he really liked babies.

Surprised by the Wizard King’s discovery, Leo took a closer look and sure enough, there were three names horribly scribbled onto the blankets, a hallmark of his husband’s identity. Thankfully, having some years of deciphering his husband’s horrible penmanship under his belt, he was able to make out the names on each blanket: Agnoleo, Amaleo, and Attileo. Though the names were unusual, the thought behind them warmed his heart.  _ I guess he decided to keep the “-leo-” trend going. And it’s just so typical of him to mix in his own name _ , thought Leo.

“Hmm? I don’t get it,” said Yami, looking over the bundles of tiny humans, scratching his head.

“You’re not supposed to get it, Yami. That’s the point,” Julius scoffed.

Eyes widening as he looked up to argue, Yami’s jaw dropped as he saw a forty-two-year-old Julius in his alias’s clothing. “Ju-Julius, you’re...well you’re you,” he whispered so as not to draw any attention.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I guess I reverted back to my original age,” Julius said candidly, rubbing his nape, chuckling lightly as if nothing were wrong.

Stuttering, Yami asked, “But when did you..how did you..?”

Recognizing his bewilderment, Julius shrugged and said, “If I’m being honest with you, Yami, I really don’t know. All I remember is being attacked-” Julius’s explanation was cut off by a man screaming Asta’s name. Initially surprised, the mention of Asta’s name was enough for the three (plus change) to make their way to the origin of the screaming. As they got closer, they noticed a crowd of commoners and Magic Knights alike surrounding what must’ve been the source of all the screaming.

Navigating his way to the center, making sure to keep his children above everyone’s heads, to say Leo was horrified was an understatement. Before him, he saw Yuno crying (something Leo never saw him do), fighting against two Magic Knights, Solid Silva from the Silver Eagles and Ruben from the Crimson Lion Kings. What’s more was that Yuno appeared to be perfectly fine--no longer possessed by the Demon King that attacked last night. But the most shocking detail out of the entire exhibition was what Yuno was fighting the two Magic Knights for: right in the center of the makeshift crowd was a perfect stone replica of Leo’s husband, Asta. Clearing his throat, Leo asked, “What’s going on here, Nebra, Ruben?”

“Captain,” the Crimson Lion King member started, “Lord Solid and I are attempting to arrest this man.”

Although he understood that the two must have remembered who attacked them last night, Leo, being a hot-tempered but level-headed captain, needed to know their reasons first, so he questioned, “On what charges?”

Letting go of the formerly-demon-possessed raven-haired boy, Solid threw him to the ground at the Crimson Lion Kings’ captain’s feet. Arms crossed and frowning, with venom in his voice, he ordered, “Go ahead, scum. Tell him what you did. Or do you want me to tell him for you?”

Growing impatient, Leo crossed his arms and looked down at the trembling figure of Asta’s rival, the former Captain of the Golden Dawn, and asked, “Yuno, what do they mean?”

Body trembling, fists clenched so tight that his knuckles whitened, and crying like a two-year-old, Yuno replied in an inaudible whisper, “I killed Asta.”

Unable to hear his answer, Leo, frustrated, pinched the bridge of his nose and repeated, “Yuno, what do they mean?”

_ There’s no point in hiding it now _ , Yuno thought. Ashamed of what he was reduced to, Yuno summoned the last bit of courage he had. Finding his voice, he hit the ground with his fist, looked up at sympathetic eyes, he yelled, “I KILLED ASTA!”

The moment he heard that, all Leo could see was red. His blood boiled, with the ground around him seeming to melt under his bloodlust. Leo increased the strength of his mana skin, blowing away anyone near him. Leo was about to pounce on his apparently-deceased husband’s foster brother until he was suspended in animation by Julius’s  **Chrono Stasis** orb. This earned confused gasps from the crowd, not only from Yuno’s confession, but also from the sight of a healthy, forty-two-year-old former Wizard King that was supposed to be dead.

Clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention, Julius addressed the perturbed crowd, “As many of you can clearly see, I, Julius Novachrono, am alive. The answer to all your questions concerning my ‘death’ will be answered in due time, but,” Julius turned to a frozen Leo and a groveling Yuno, “there are more pressing matters at hand. Specifically, King Yuno Grinberryall of the Spade Kingdom, has just admitted to murder. Nevertheless, killing him now would not only escalate the already-elevated tensions between the Clover and Spade Kingdoms, but also eliminate the possibility of acquiring sensitive information from the enemy kingdom’s highest authority. Therefore, it is my opinion as the former Wizard King that we formally try the accused before our Magic Parliament to determine the proper course of action. However, I cannot make this decision since I am technically ‘dead’, so I ask our 29th Wizard King to pass his judgement on the matter.” Having known Yuno long enough to know that he would never break down crying for any reason in public or in private, he knew that his confession was genuine, out of impulse due to the untimely death of his beloved. Julius also had another good reason that he didn’t want to reveal to anyone yet since he had no evidence to substantiate it, but he knew Yuno would be the deciding factor since he, Julius assumed, was the only one present the moment Asta died. Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, now would not have been the right time to ask as the boy was overwhelmed with emotion, clouding the logic that he was well-known for. Looking at the former Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Julius asked, “What do you think, Fuegoleon?”

If Julius was thinking the same thing that he was--that this perfect stone replica of his brother’s husband was actually Asta himself, then he needed to go with the former Wizard King’s proposal. In a loud, booming voice, the 29th Wizard King declared, “I agree with our former Wizard King! Therefore, I declare a magic trial for, his Majesty, King Yuno Grinberryall of the Spade Kingdom for the murder of the Captain of the Royal Knights, Asta Vermillion. All evidence will be gathered,” Fuegoleon pointed to the statue of his brother-in-law, “including this statue. The trial will begin immediately, once the damage to the kingdom has been assessed and reconstruction has begun. Solid, Ruben, please take the accused to the dungeon.”

“Yes, sir!” responded the two in unison, saluting their leader. Quickly, the two restrained the former Clover citizen’s hands behind his back with anti-magic shackles and locked his grimoire with an anti-magic seal. Remembering what they saw the night prior, the two were more than rough with the raven-haired boy as they led him away, having to protect him from the enraged crowd that wanted his head on a stake.

Turning his attention to his younger brother, who was still suspended in time, Fuegoleon spoke to him in a gentle, but chastising tone, “Leo, I know you can hear me. You must control your anger, Leo. If you wish for the justice that you seek, you must calm yourself. I’m putting you under house arrest for attempting to harm a valuable asset to the kingdom. Take this time to take care of your children,” facial features softening as he looked at the sleeping bundles of life that were also frozen in time. Fuegoleon continued, “I’m sure Mother and Father will be delighted to meet their first grandchildren. I’ll notify Mereoleona, and I’ll visit my nephews when I have the chance.” With that said, he turned to Julius and gave him the nod of approval to release his brother, who heeded his older brother’s order, weakening his mana skin to just the fire lion cloak that held his children in its paw.

Looking at his older brother eye-to-eye with a contented sigh, he smiled and said, “Agnoleo, Amaleo, and Attileo.”

Returning the smile, Fuegoleon clasped his younger brother’s shoulder and said, “Congratulations,” not wanting to show any emotion in front of his subjects due to the tense atmosphere. With that, he turned away, summoned Salamander, and flew back to the Royal Capital. He was going to have another sleepless night.

_ Somewhere in the Royal Capital _

_ About half-an-hour since Yuno was escorted off the Black Bulls’ base’s premises _

As Yuno was being escorted through the streets of the Royal Capital towards the dungeon, he was able to finally take in the damages he had dealt to his former home. Commoners salvaging whatever they could under the piles of rubble that were once their homes, mothers hugging their children thanking God that they were alright, Magic Knights helping clean up the mess to prepare for reconstruction and restoring order to a city that was previously under chaos thanks to him--it was enough to make his stomach lurch, making him feel as though his heart was being strangled. He didn’t bother listening to the confused gasps of commoners and Magic Knights alike as they saw him in anti-magic shackles, being pushed forward roughly by the very people he fought alongside with, so he just looked down at the ground, giving off an air of defeat as they continued onwards. His head lifted up only when he was captured in a hug by two people he didn’t expect would welcome him so endearingly after he had up and left without so much as a letter or simple goodbye.

“Yuno!” yelled Mimosa and Klaus, his former squadmates in the Golden Dawn, while they held on to him as if letting go would mean he would disappear again.

Biting back a sob, Yuno gritted his teeth to stop himself from breaking down again. He had been crying far too much already, feeling the onset of a headache around his eyes, having cried out more tears than he thought were possible when he was pleading to the statue of Asta to come back. Once he felt like he regained some composure, he let out a hoarse, “Hey, Mimosa, Klaus,” throat still dry from his crying fit.

Both his friends looked at him, noticing his bloodshot eyes and dried tears on his cheeks. Mimosa asked, concerned for one of her best friends, “Yuno, have you been crying?”

“Like Yuno would be crying,” Klaus scoffed, pushing up his glasses. He noticed it, too, but was thankful that Mimosa was the first to point it out since he wasn’t really good with feelings.

Yuno opened his mouth to give an answer, but was cut off by the silver-haired, purple-eyed royal before he could say anything. “King Grinberryall is being escorted to the dungeon. He is being tried for the murder of a fellow Magic Knight. You two will step aside or we will be forced to do it for you.”

Ignoring the last part of the statement, Mimosa turned and looked up at those amber-colored eyes, studying them to see if she could get any information. Unable to, she asked, “What does Solid mean by ‘murder of a fellow Magic Knight’, Yuno? Does Asta know about this?” Curious about the Asta-like statue that was being carried behind them, she couldn’t help but add on, “And what’s that statue that looks like Asta doing here?”

Dropping his head so that his bangs hid his eyes that were beginning to tear up, Ruben, the other escort, bluntly answered for him. “This is evidence that will be used for his magic trial. King Grinberryall is being tried for the murder of the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Asta Vermillion.”

Taken aback by the victim’s name, Mimosa and Klaus took a step back, eyes slowly widening as they noticed Yuno not saying a thing to defend himself at the accusation. Remembering what their grey-haired friend always told them about Yuno, they stepped forward and clasped his shoulder on either side and reassured their best friend and former captain, “Yuno, we won’t believe it until we hear it from you. We’ll be on your side no matter what.” Smiling, they stepped aside to allow the Magic Knights to continue their jobs.

As he passed by them, he looked up at them momentarily, giving them a smile and mouthed a  _ thank you _ before he was jolted forward by his escorts and ordered to continue.

_ Royal Capital _

_ Dungeon _

_ After Yuno’s brief meeting with Mimosa and Klaus _

As Yuno was being pushed towards his cell, he couldn’t help but eavesdrop on a conversation between two prisoners who were separated by a wall that divided their adjacent cells. As if pretending the Spade king couldn’t hear, one asked, “Hey, isn’t that the kid that ran away to become king of  _ that _ kingdom?”

Answering her fellow prisoner’s question, the other snorted and replied, “Damn right he is, but you know what I heard some Magic Knights say?” Pointing his thumb at a small, barred window in the back of his cell--a common feature of every prisoner’s cell so as to vent out the stench of urine and feces that was all too strong in the dungeon--that the female prisoner used to eavesdrop on passerbys’ conversations.

“Huh? What’s that? It gotta do with that Asta-boy again?” the other prisoner asked curiously, earning a wince from the raven-haired boy at the mention of his Asta’s name.

“Oh yeah. This story’s pretty juicy if you asked me. Apparently, this ‘king’ attacked the Clover Kingdom last night and that Asta-kid stopped everything. Unfortunately, I heard he died because of it,” the prisoner recounted.

“Well, good on that kid for saving our asses again. But do you know how he died?” asked the other prisoner.

Catching a quick glance at Yuno’s eyes before he was pushed into his cell, the female prisoner said, “My guess is that it has something to do with pretty-boy over there.”

“You’re probably right,” the other prisoner agreed. “But can I ask you something? It’s a little weird, but I feel like I gotta ask.”

Snorting, the prisoner said, “When is anything you ask not weird? But sure, what is it?”

Taking a moment to formulate his question, the other prisoner asked, “Did you feel like you died last night? Like, did you feel like someone stabbed, you blacked out, then all of a sudden you found yourself back in here, perfectly fine, well, as perfectly fine as a magic prisoner would ever be?”

The female prisoner’s jaw dropped. She had wondered the same thing but thought it wiser to keep it to herself. Now that she thought about it, that “dream” she had last night was a little too vivid than she would have liked it to be. Dare she say it, it was almost as if she was really killed and possessed by some sort of devil, but she was left trapped in the dungeon because of its anti-magic properties that would have drained anyone’s mana almost instantly if they weren’t using the proper equipment to handle the doors. Deep in her thoughts, she was even more compelled, remembering how she woke up in her prison clothes that had slits through their fabric, too fine to not be the result of a stab wound. But when she looked at the places where there would have been stab wounds, she was surprised the areas were undamaged. What’s more, she became even more suspicious now that she saw a king being led to his cell, someone that she overheard was madly in-love with Asta. She was taken out of her thoughts when her fellow prisoner/friend said, “Rachael, you didn’t answer my question.”

Smiling and shaking her head at the use of her name, she answered, “Who knows, Theo? Who knows?” Truly, she didn’t know herself. Even before being tried and convicted for felony murder after she accidentally killed a nobleman that was actually trying to kidnap the son of the noble family that she was trying to rob that night, she always knew her senses were sharp. Her clothes, the vivid dream of being demon-possessed, the death of a king’s beloved, and the detention of said king, and the odd feeling of being obliged to listen to his orders--it was setting off alarm bells inside her. But she really couldn’t do anything about it and just had to sit back and watch because, after all, who would listen to some lowly commoner convict?

_ Royal Capital _

_ Dungeon - Yuno’s Cell _

Yuno sighed and looked up at his window, having lucked out to have a view of a night-sky that wasn’t polluted by artificial light. He couldn’t sleep. Too many things were bothering him. Aside from the final conversation he had with the only man he loved haunting his dreams, he was even more restless with the seemingly never-ending questions that ran through his head. Why did Asta do it? More importantly, how did Asta do it? Where did he find out about those spells? What happened to their demons when they left his mind? Before he was detained, he noticed his five-leaf grimoire turn back into a four-leaf, indicating that his demon was dead. Was his demon dead? Why did Asta turn to stone? Why were Mimosa and Klaus so willing to stick by his side despite hearing the crime he was charged for? How did Asta know he always loved him for more than a brother, more than a number-one best friend? What was that Theo-person talking about when he said he felt like he died but came back to life? Why did he feel the same way when he noticed that he saw people that he distinctly remembered killing when Abaddon had control over him? If there were any possibilities, they surely defied the natural laws of this world. Just what was the nature of the forbidden spells Asta used?

Yuno felt like his head was about to explode. So he did the only thing he thought would bring him some solace: he looked for the star he and Asta agreed would keep them connected if they were ever separated. Remembering that final conversation as he looked on, he could only feel guilt rather than comfort. So that night, he just clutched his knees towards his chest, rocking himself, and cried himself to sleep.

_ Royal Capital _

_ Magic Parliament _

This was another feeling Yuno hadn’t expected. He felt so small in anti-magic shackles around his wrists and ankles, standing in the center of the Magic Parliament building, which was packed full of royals, nobles, and his fellow Magic Knights alike. He also saw his orphanage family in one of the front seats in the section designated for the Vermillion family. Within that section, he saw a stoic-faced Fuegoleon who remained calm and collected despite the buzzing insults thrown at Yuno. Next to him was his dopple-ganger, an exact copy and paste of Fuegoleon (albeit the mark on his forehead), Leonard Fuegoleon, the head of House Vermillion. Next to him was Marisol, Fuegoleon’s mother, who looked nothing like Fuegoleon, but carried the same, if not more, ferocity carried by the woman next to her, Mereleona, the former temporary Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings. Marisol and Leonard were holding small bundles in their arms, rocking them gently, which left Yuno to guess that those were their grandchildren--his nephews. To the left of Fuegoleon was the father of these kids, Leopold, who looked like it was taking everything in him to not rip Yuno’s heart out; a small hand reaching for his braid was the only thing that seemed to keep him grounded. Seeing the Vermillions next to his orphanage family made Yuno’s heart constrict in guilt, remembering the reason why he was even here in the first place.

“Silence!” Damnatio yelled, his order reverberating throughout the building. “Good afternoon to you all. As you all are already aware of our next trial, I will make the introduction brief,” said one of the three judges (the other two being King Augustus Kira Clover XIII and Wizard King Fuegoleon). “We are gathered here today for the trial of King Yuno Grinberryall of the Spade Kingdom,” began Damnatio, looking down coldly at Yuno and continuing, “who is accused for the murder of the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Captain of the Royal Knights, and Arcane-level Commander of the Inter-Kingdom Alliance, Asta Vermillion.” The introduction earned surprised gasps throughout the building followed by several derogatory insults, death threats, and declarations that Yuno shouldn’t even be tried but just executed on the spot. Calling for silence once again, Damnatio continued, holding up his magic scales of justice, “Though many share the same opinions for the accused. It has come to the Parliament’s attention that he could be a valuable asset to the Heart, Diamond, and Clover Kingdoms’ cause in our war with the Spade Kingdom since he is the very person that could decide the fate of the four kingdoms. Therefore, he must be tried and treated like any other under the jurisdiction of his Highness, King Augustus Kira Clover XIII. We will begin with opening remarks from the accused.”

Yuno knew this wasn’t the time to cower away like he had been doing for so many days now. Asta gave him this chance to right his wrongs, and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Being in that cell with Rachael and Theo, who saw past his status as king, he was able to conduct a mini-investigation into the happenings in the Royal Capital during his-no, Abaddon’s--invasion. Although it only brought up more questions, one suspicion stood out from the rest: Asta was dead, but also alive, even in the smallest bit. Whenever he dreamt, he wouldn’t just dream his own dreams, but also Asta’s, but unlike his, Asta’s dreams were more vivid, making it seem as if he was living Asta’s life while he also lived his. Even now, he felt a certain warmth being near the statue of Asta, something he always felt when his beloved was alive. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, allowing him to return to his calm, logical self for once, he said, “I did not kill Asta Vermillion-”

“LIES!” interjected Leo who was now standing up, fire magic spiking around him. He was immediately reprimanded by his older brother who took the bundle of crying flesh Leo was holding and ordered him to control his temper or leave. Reluctantly, he sat back down and crossed his arms, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm down.

Yuno continued, pretending like nothing happened, “Being the King of the Spade Kingdom, Lord Damnatio is right in saying that I alone have the power to decide the four kingdoms’ fate. However, most likely hearing the news of the outcome of last night’s battle right now as we speak, my subjects have, without a doubt, assumed that I have defected back to Clover. As you may all know, this is an act of treason that is punishable by death the moment I step foot into Spade. As we speak, I am sure they have already replaced me as the king. Therefore, in exchange for political asylum, I am willing to provide any and all information on the Spade Kingdom that I know will provide a significant upper-hand for the Inter-Kingdom Alliance.”

“How do we know you are not lying, Lord Grinberryall?” asked Damnatio.

“I’d prefer you call me Yuno henceforth sans Grinberryall. Though I do belong to the ruling family of the House Grinberryall, I no longer choose to bare the name tainted with the blood of the innocent. As for your question, I respect your suspicions. At the moment, I cannot fully prove to you or anyone here of my total loyalty to Clover, but I ask that you all permit my actions hereafter to do so,” responded Yuno.

“What may be the reason for your sudden change in attitude, Yuno?” asked Damnatio.

Clenching his fists and holding back a sob, “I have been given another chance to make amends for my sins by the merciful hands of Asta Vermillion. I swore to the dying hero that I would see it through until my last breath.”

Noticing the scales slightly dip in Yuno’s favor, Damnatio said, “Very well, Yuno. But you are still on-trial, so we must continue. You will recount to us in as much detail all the events that lead to Asta Vermillion’s death. He added, “Keeping in mind that even the slightest tip of my scales against you will give me full authority to order your execution.”

Nodding at the judge to acknowledge his warning/death threat, Yuno began retelling all the events that lead to Asta’s untimely demise. He told them about how his soul was bound by the Demon King Abaddon, while he allowed the rest of his body to be seized by the devil’s spirit to do as he pleased, only allowing him to watch everything unfold without any means of stopping the rampaging creature. He confessed to witnessing his body killing all the Demon King deemed his enemy--the former Wizard King Julius, the current Wizard King Fuegoleon, all the current and former captains of the Magic Knight squads, Sister Lily, Father Orsi, the orphans, among several others. As the list dragged on, he saw many people’s eyes widen at the confession, practically popping out of their sockets. He also noted an enraged Leo who had to be sent outside, unable to control his temper. Yuno didn’t let this bother him--if he was going to right his wrongs, he needed to confess every vile act he witnessed. Continuing, he mentioned how seeing Asta gave him a surge of power strong enough to prevent his body from stabbing him, only for the grey-haired mother of three to follow through, guiding the blade through his body. He talked about how Asta freed him from his mental prison, including how Asta’s devil Amon consumed his devil Abaddon. He finished with Asta’s passionate discourse, recitation of the two forbidden spells, his Demon-Destroyer Sword’s fate release, and him turning into stone in front of Yuno. Once he was done, one could hear a pin drop with how mute the room was, everyone seeming to need some time to register everything he had said.

King Clover was the first to speak up, pointing an accusatory finger at the former king, ordering the Magic Knights to kill him on the spot. His command was met by deaf ears as the Magic Knights awaited the Wizard King’s orders. Fuegoleon said nothing, seeming to ignore the king’s outburst as he rocked his nephew, smiling down at him as the infant played with its uncle’s hair. Taking this as a “stand down” order, the Magic Knights turned their attention back to the center, the only voice in the room being the king’s as he expressed his apprehension and frustration at his subjects’ inaction.

Wanting to subdue his uncle before he embarrassed himself anymore, Damnatio coughed lightly into his fist and asked, “So it seems that you have not just committed murder, but also attempted genocide.” This declaration divided the building between the Magic Knights and nobles, the former defending Yuno, claiming that he was not in the right state of mind, whereas the latter denounced him, claiming that attempted genocide was attempted genocide, regardless of the suspect’s mental status. The bickering ceased when the Wizard King stood, crying nephew in hand, making it a little hard to take seriously as he rocked the baby to sleep.

Agreeing with, in his opinion, the more knowledgeable and level-headed Magic Knights, the sleep-deprived Wizard King bellowed, “It is clear that Yuno did not intend to harm anyone. This was the working of the Demon King that possessed his body.”

“Possessed or not, the act was still committed by his hands,” stated the pale-skinned scale-magic user, earning some shouts of agreement.

“I would like to remind the people in this building that those that are demon-possessed, though not having ill-intentions themselves, have no control over their bodies. This is evident in the many incidents that have occurred over the years throughout the kingdom, which were investigated by the members of the Wizard King’s private investigation wing, one of them being Asta Vermillion himself.” Fuegoleon wasn’t comfortable revealing Asta’s position as a private investigator, but he felt that it was necessary at this point, so he just had to pay whatever price he had to pay once this was all over. He continued, “Furthermore, this is corroborated by Asta’s testimonies since he himself was possessed by a devil.”

“What’s your point, Lord Fuegoleon?” asked Damnatio, a bit annoyed by the sudden tip of his scales in favor of Yuno.

“My point is that Yuno had no ill-intentions but could not control his demon’s rampage. I will also admit that last night, after being attacked and supposedly ‘killed’ by Yuno’s demon, I do not recall how I went from the palace to the Black Bulls’ headquarters--another effect of incomplete or incompatible demon possession is the inability of the afflicted to recall what occurred during their possessed state. I am sure many of you in this building share the same sentiment as me,” stated Fuegoleon bluntly, earning gasps and nods of agreement. He then added, “So my question is: after last night, who is to say that none of us also committed the crimes that we are accusing Yuno of committing?”

More than annoyed now as he seemed to be losing dominance over the building’s occupants and his scales, Damnatio took a deep breath and said, “That is quite bold of you to assert, Lord Fuegoleon. So my question to you, then, is: how do you intend to prove that the accused meant no harm and is not simply planning to allow himself to be possessed at any moment, ready to attack a severely-weakened, recovering kingdom?”

This time, it was Julius to stand and speak up, saying, “Look at the boy’s grimoire.” Julius was able to catch a quick glimpse of it that morning when he had to stop Leo from doing whatever he planned to do to Yuno before it was locked by anti-magic bindings.

“What do you mean, Lord Alexander?” asked Damnatio mockingly.

“The facade is up, Lord Damnatio, just call me Julius,” he retorted. Answering his rhetorical question, he explained, “If the boy truly plans to become possessed again, he can only do so with a five-leaf grimoire. Check his grimoire again.” Despite no longer holding a position of authority, the Magic Knights that were holding Yuno’s grimoire followed the respected figure’s command. They unclasped the grimoire, which released some mana-generated wind, revealing a four-leaf grimoire, earning gasps and nods throughout the building.

Scales dipping further in Yuno’s favor, Damnatio let out a sigh of defeat. “It seems justice is on your side today,” he stated as he looked at the raven-haired boy who was equally surprised by the sight of the scales completely favoring his white flame compared to the judge’s yellow flame. “Nevertheless, the verdict is ultimately left to his Majesty, King Augustus. So, this trial will be put on hold as we will begin deliberations. Until then, the accused will await his fate in the dungeon. You are all dismissed.”

_ Royal Capital _

_ Magic Parliament, Nighttime _

_ After Yuno’s trial _

“So you two thought the same thing, huh?” asked Yami towards the two Wizard Kings, taking a long drag of his cigarette. Ever since Yuno’s trial where the raven-haired boy recounted how Asta turned into stone, Yami felt suspicious. Couple this with the fact that he had dreams from not only his perspective, but that of many others, Yami had the gut-feeling that Asta was still there in one form or another. So he had Finral transport him to the Magic Parliament that housed the statue of Asta. He should’ve expected his mentor and his colleague to share the same suspicions because after all, they were Magic Knights, right?

“It seems so, Yami,” chuckled Julius, who was back in his Wizard King attire, commanding an air of respect as always.

Giving him a once-over, Yami deadpanned. “So, uh, does that mean you’re like the Wizard King Wizard King now or what, Julius?”

Clearing his throat to speak, Fuegoleon responded, “If by that, you mean whether Julius has been reinstated, then no. Before you say anything, I’ve already tried everything I could to convince him since we both know that he’s a better fit for the job. Unfortunately, nothing worked, and the most I could make him settle for was being my personal advisor, next to Marx, of course.”

Letting out a loud, hearty laugh, Yami pointed at Julius and exclaimed, “To think you’d wanna take the job of the same person that wouldn’t give you any time to wander off...that’s just surreal.” Rubbing his chin, he conceded, “But I guess that makes sense. Gives you the time you want to go exploring since Marx is practically carrying the assistant title for you while also being a voice of wisdom for Brogoleon over there,” pointing at the current Wizard King.

Sighing and shaking his head, Fuegoleon retorted, “As much as I’d love to reprimand you for that nickname, I think it’s best we leave now before we get caught.”

“I agree,” said Julius. Turning to the statue of Asta, Julius asked, “But where do you suppose we go? And how are we going to explain the disappearance of a statue?”

“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I was planning to just take the statue to the Library of the Ancients and deal with whatever that snot-faced Damnatio has to say later,” Yami said. He added, “But I guess we can’t have that, so I’ll have Grey transform a giant rock into the statue while we take the real one.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Julius. He glanced at Fuegoleon since he was technically the authority figure and asked, “Fuegoleon?”

Nodding in approval, Fuegoleon gave the green light. “Gentlemen, we’ve got some forbidden spells to investigate.” With that, Yami easily picked up the statue, and the group stepped through the portal opened by Finral to the secluded Library of the Ancients.

_ Royal Capital _

_ Dungeon, Nighttime - Yuno’s Cell _

_ After Yuno’s trial _

Yuno was restless...again. Sure he was elated to have seen Damnatio’s scales tip in his favor, but another thing was bothering him: his dreams were becoming more intense, more vivid, as he kept seeing what he assumed to be the memories of different Magic Knights--Leo, Sol, Mimosa, Klaus, Noelle, basically everyone that had some sort of effect on Asta’s life. He honestly didn’t know who to discuss this with--Rachael and Theo were acquaintances, but he didn’t trust them well enough to talk about something like this. Doing what he had done every night since he first set foot in his cell, he looked out the small, barred window at the familiar star. What was different tonight though was that the star seemed unusually brighter. Before he could do anything, he was blinded by the intense light the star emanated…

Beginning of Flashback


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I could be nice on my birthday.
> 
> By the way, how would you feel if I dragged the story out a little bit to make the character buildup (and maybe the angst) better? Let me know in the comments.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Forsaken Realm_

_Somewhere in Hage Village_

“Asta! Wait up!” shouted a small, eight-year-old raven-haired boy with amber eyes the color of fresh honey just collected from a beehive. Yuno was panting, trying to catch up to his green-eyed, grey-haired companion, having just played a rousing game of tag in the cool December air that was signaling the onset of another freezing winter. The two were heading back to their orphanage now as late-afternoon was near, coming back from the storage house on the other side of the small village in the Forsaken Realm. They were tasked earlier that day by their Father Orsi, the head priest of the village’s church and orphanage, to collect some tatoes from the local village’s giant storage facility for dinner when, like always, a certain loud-mouthed troublemaker thought it would be fun to play tag around the village square where many street vendors and townsfolk congregated midday to hear news and announcements from the mayor. 

Yes, the lives of the inhabitants of Hage Village were quite mundane: wake up, pray, eat breakfast, do the chores, runs some errands, pray, eat lunch, meet up and chit-chat at the square, farm some tatoes, go home, pray, eat dinner, pray, sleep, repeat. But somehow, Asta always thought up unthinkable ways to make people’s otherwise dull lives more...lively, so who was Yuno to deny his jubilations? To him, Asta was the sun that made all Yuno’s scary monsters go away, that brightened up Yuno’s day with that signature grin of his, that brought a rush of warmth even in the freezing winters, that made Yuno need him to survive in every conceivable form. Yes, wherever Asta was, Yuno was bound to be somewhere near as if the two were connected by the hip. Anyways, why was Yuno running after Asta? Simple: during their game, Asta bumped into the mayor who was giving a speech about some sort of spellbook ceremony for the town’s fifteen-year-olds and how he was hoping to see one of them obtain a “four-leaf grimoire”, to which Asta asked what the thing was, earning some laughs from the crowd, but ultimately ending in the mayor alluding to the first “Wizard King”. This sparked Asta’s curiosity with that sparkle in his eyes making it evident, so without so much as a goodbye or thanks, Asta bolted for Sister Lily who, according to him, knew everything in the world with Yuno following his tail.

Yuno always had trouble keeping up with Asta, the latter seeming to have a boundless amount of energy that could somehow multiply whenever something sparked his curiosity. It didn’t help that Asta’s magic attribute was light, which, according to the village’s elders, was one of, if not the most, powerful magic attribute whose most well-known trait was absolute speed. In speed, though, Yuno could somewhat keep up as his wind magic attribute was a close-second, but it also didn’t help that he was so clumsy, his foster sister Recca claiming that the boy had two left feet. As if to make this embarrassing feature more obvious, Yuno tripped over his own feet, landing on his face, slightly scraping his left palm, right elbow, and chin in the process. “Ow, ow, ow,” groaned Yuno, a sob becoming evident from his quivering lips and tears on the corners of his eyes. Before he could regain his bearings, he heard a footstep in front of him. Looking up, he then saw a hand, outstretched as an offer to help him back up. Knowing who’s hand it was, he took it, feeling the rough, calloused hands from planting and picking tatoes almost on a daily basis but soft, indicating the owner’s young, innocent age, and was hoisted up rather gently.

“You’re such a klutz, Yuno,” sighed Asta as he helped dust off the dirt from his older brother’s pants and shirt. If a stranger saw the two, they would always guess that Asta was the older one since his older brother was more coy and clung to his side.

Face heating up ever so slightly as those rough hands gently patted over his clothes, Yuno turned away to hide his blush, pouting, “Am not…”

Pleased by his foster brother’s reaction, Asta ruffled his hair and grinned. “Are too!” With that, he grabbed his hand and began for the church, only to hear a hiss and have the hand retracted. Turning around, he noticed Yuno was in pain. Eyebrows furrowed, Asta voiced his concern, “What’s wrong? Did you hurt yourself again?” Seeing him hold his hands up in defense, he saw the red scratch on his left palm. Brotherly instincts kicking in, he grabbed the wrist of the injured hand and kissed it to make the pain go away. Sister Lily always taught Asta, who acted like the big brother among the orphans, that one could make any pain go away by a simple kiss, so he did just that for Yuno. He didn’t notice Yuno tense at the action or his face heating up, looking away to hide his blush (again) when Asta looked up at him with a smile that, for some reason, made Yuno’s heart beat in his chest a little harder than usual, aware that it wasn’t because of the physical exercise. “Does it hurt?” he asked his foster-brother softly.

Feeling like he could look at those kind, viridian-colored eyes forever, he stuttered, “N-Not a-anymore.”

“Did you get hurt anywhere else?” Asta added, furrowing his eyebrows, not noticing the red mark on the right side of Yuno’s chin since he could only see his left.

Nodding, he lifted his right elbow towards Asta. In reality, it didn’t hurt as much because he was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, which was more than enough to protect the body part from any scratching. Nevertheless, he didn’t mind it when Asta was so sweet with him like he was right now, heart beating even faster now when Asta smiled gently and reached for the elbow to kiss it.

“Anywhere else?” Asta asked.

Nodding once more, Yuno turned his face so that Asta could see the red scratch on the right side of his chin. Not wasting another second, Asta grabbed his chin carefully and planted a nice, wet kiss on the affected area, earning a deeper blush from its receiver. Why was Yuno feeling like this? Why did it feel like his heart was going to leap out of its cage? Before he could get deeper into his confusing thoughts, his hand was taken as he was being tugged by Asta back to their home.

“Come on, Yuno, you slow-poke! We gotta ask Sister Lily about this ‘first Wizard King’ dude!” Asta exclaimed.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

“The evil demon ravaged the Clover Kingdom, hurting the human inhabitants that called the lands their home. All seemed lost,” said Sister Lily as she read the children’s picture book, flipping the page to reveal a poorly-drawn demon about to stomp on a human village. At first, Sister Lily was surprised at the two kids’ overzealousness to learn about the first Wizard King, but she obliged, knowing full well that Asta wouldn’t stop badgering the young nun until he got what he wanted.

“No way is that big, ugly demon going to do bad things! Not if I’ve got anything to say about it!” exclaimed Asta fervently as he stood on the pew, fists clenched at his sides accompanied by a deep scowl.

“No! No! No!” was all Yuno could say as he covered his ears and shut his eyes tight, hoping the action would make the “imaginary” monster go away.

“Until,” Sister Lily began, this time earning a glance from the two boys.

“Until..?” the boys half-repeated, half-asked, in unison, now inching closer to get a better view.

Having captured their attention, Sister Lily flipped the page to reveal the story’s hero and continued, “A very powerful human mage appeared just when the humans were about to give up. He stopped the demon’s rampage and brought peace over the lands. He became known as the first Wizard King, and he became a legend.” With that, Sister Lily closed the book, resting it on her lap, to signify the end of the story.

“Yeah!” the boys cried out in unison, fists pumping in the air.

Calming down, Yuno turned to Sister Lily, now even more curious, and asked, “What happened next?”

Delighted by the usually-shy boy’s enthusiasm, she smiled at him and simply answered, “The kingdom and its people lived happily ever after.”

This time, Asta crossed his arms and let out his bottom lower-lip in a pout, lifting his chin up smugly. He grumbled, “Can’t be happily ever after if we live in a crap church like this.”

This earned him a whack to the back of the head and a scolding from Sister Lily. Scowling at the grey-haired boy’s comments, she chided, “Watch your mouth! Be grateful!”

Asta groaned at the punishment, rubbing the affected area with his hand, but accepting the consequence nonetheless. 

Yuno could only giggle at the sight, earning him a cold glare from Asta. Unfortunately, it seemed as if karma wanted the raven-haired boy to pay for his actions because that night, he was haunted by the images of the demon from the story, waking him up in a cold sweat. As if on instinct, warm hands tugged at his shirt to lay him back down and pulled him close. Yuno turned to bury his face in Asta’s chest as he hugged him tightly. Letting Asta’s warmth envelope him, he slowly fell back to a deep slumber but this time, with no nightmares. 

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church, the next day_

Having finished their daily tasks, Asta and Yuno were sitting atop the orphanage church’s rooftop, passing the time, gazing at the demon’s skull that had a statue of the first Wizard King perched on top. While they were occupied with the day’s duties that consisted of harvesting some tatoes in the field and helping Sister Lily do the laundry, the inseparable pair swarmed the nun with questions. Most would have scolded them for distracting someone while they worked, but Sister Lily was always patient with the kids, acting like their mother-figure, only reprimanding them when she felt they were doing something wrong. This was when they learned about the skull and the statue. Furthermore, they learned about the Wizard King title that was passed down the generations to the most powerful Magic Knight. The Magic Knights were a group of mages who were hand-picked from an entrance exam that weeded out those that were deemed unacceptable or unfit for the duties that the title entailed. Some of their duties (escorting individuals, going on patrol, helping the elderly, among others) were “kinda dumb”, according to Asta, but others were “freaking awesome”, again, according to Asta, but the one catching the boy’s attention the most was protecting the citizens of the kingdom, no matter who they were or what they did. As a gentle breeze blew by, not taking his eyes off the statue that looked so tiny from his distance, Asta told himself out loud, “When I’m fifteen, I’m gonna become a Magic Knight and work hard to be the most powerful mage so that, one day, I’ll become the Wizard King.”

Yuno, who heard this assertion, couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Unfortunately, he knew that it was impossible given their current statuses as peasants, so he said just that, “That’s...impossible, Asta. Only those who live in the Common Realm or the Royal Capital have a chance at becoming the Wizard King, let alone a Magic Knight. Those who live in the Forsaken Realm have no chance. You should know that, Asta, since you’re a pea-”

“So what?” Asta said, cutting off his foster brother, now looking at him with a fierce determination in his eyes. “So what if I’m a peasant? Anyone--me, you, Nash--anyone can become the Wizard King as long as they work hard, Yuno!” He turned back his attention to the statue of the first Wizard King and added, “Watch me, Yuno. Just you watch. I’ll become the Wizard King and prove to you and everybody else that it’s possible.”

Yuno was taken aback by his foster brother’s response but if those green-colored eyes said anything, they proved to Yuno that nothing would stop Asta from achieving his dream. Smile etched on his face, he thought to himself, _Yes. With Asta, anything’s possible, especially the unthinkable. And I’ll be there by him at every step of the way, supporting his dream_.

The two were pulled from their thoughts when they heard Sister Lily calling. “Asta, Yuno! Could you come down here for a minute? I need your help with the laundry!” Groaning at the thought of having to do more chores, the two reluctantly stood up to go down to the side of the orphanage church where the wet clothes were hung on a clothesline to dry.

“Sister, let me help you dry those up!” shouted Yuno as he ran towards the working nun. It was pretty typical for Yuno to do the drying since his wind magic could just speed up the process. Today, though, he (like many other days) let himself get distracted by Asta, leaving the nun to go about the old-fashioned way.

Knowing that the raven-haired boy was just doing this so that he could spend more time with his foster-brother, she obliged. “Sure, Yuno, why not? You can start with the other side since they’re not under the sun’s heat,” she said, pointing to the side of the clothesline that was sitting under the shade.

“Why don’t you ever let me do it, Sister Lily?” Asta pouted, arms crossed across his chest.

“Because if you did it, you’d just burn holes through the fabric with your light magic,” answered Recca contemptuously, rolling her eyes at the thought of having to sew the holes back up...again.

“Hmph. Whatever,” Asta said as he puffed his cheeks and pouted harder. Pretending as if nothing happened, he got down on one knee, facing the nun, and picked some white flowers next to him. Stretching them out towards the befuddled nun, Asta asked, “If you won’t allow me to dry the laundry, Sister. Then will you mar-”

“Nope,” answered the nun tersely.

“A-Asta, you know you can’t do that. Remember? Sister Lily is...a woman of the cloth, so she can’t marry,” reminded Yuno to the kneeling grey-haired boy.

Standing back up and rubbing his nape, Asta turned to Yuno and grinned. “I know, I know. But it was worth a shot right? I can’t give up now!” shouted Asta. He had been “proposing” to Sister Lily since she had first arrived at the orphanage church a couple of years ago. The moment he had seen her, Asta knew that she was something special.

“N-Not really…” Yuno said. There was that feeling again in his chest--the same feeling he got when Asta laid those kisses on him yesterday after he fell and scratched himself. But this time, it was a different feeling. He couldn’t explain it, but the sight of seeing Asta profess his, though fake, feelings to a different person made his blood boil. Yuno didn’t want to see Asta do that to anyone, but he didn’t know why. But before he could contemplate these feelings any further, he was, again, pulled from his thoughts when Father Orsi appeared above them on his broom, smiling and waving at his foster-family down below, back from the town where he occasionally preached to the masses. Landing the contraption genty in front of them, the kids noticed that he had a letter in hand. Yuno knew that whenever Father had a letter with him, he would be asking one of the kids to deliver them to the recipient. Yuno just assumed it was because Father was getting old and his mana wasn’t getting any stronger, so he was probably just too exhausted to do it himself.

“Good afternoon, children!” greeted Father Orsi as he walked towards them, waving the letter. “I’ve got a letter that needs to be deliv-”

“Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!” sang Asta raising his hands like a student in a classroom, eager to answer any question. Everyone present knew that it was usually Asta who delivered the letters since he was basically like a mail owl with feet, able to fly through the village at lightspeed (not really).

Ignoring the grey-haired boy, Father Orsi walked over to Yuno and knelt to his eye-level. He whispered closely to him so that his partner-in-crime couldn’t hear. Sweat dropping, he said, “Yuno, my boy, can you do it for me? It’s that time of the year again, and I need to ask the mayor a big favor to increase our tato supply so that the orphanage church can last through this freezing winter. I know Asta normally delivers these letters but knowing him, he’ll get side-tracked doing who knows what, and we might be too late when the mayor begins to allocate the town’s tato rations.”

Yuno wanted to decline, but the panging in his chest from seeing Asta “propose” to Sister Lily said otherwise. He didn’t like it when he had these feelings for his foster brother because it usually ended up in him being mad at Asta even though the other didn’t know what he did to deserve it, which wasn’t fair at all. So, he decided that it was better to distance himself before that happened. He nodded to the aging-black-haired priest, who handed him the letter and patted his head.

Giving him a light push, Father Orsi said, “Get going, Yuno, before it gets dark.”

Before Yuno could walk any further, Asta grabbed his wrist to turn him around and pull him into a tight hug. There was that flutter in his chest again but more prominent this time. Breath hitched, he froze in place as Asta hugged him a little tighter. He felt his breath on his ear as he whispered to him.

“Be careful out there, Yuno. If anything happens, just holler. I’ll be there,” Asta said as he pushed himself off of the, still, wide-eyed raven-haired boy.

He nodded. to show that he heard Asta loud and clear. Yuno turned back on his path and headed for the town square to deliver the letter, heart still beating fast from the intimate contact. As he ran, he wondered, _Is it even possible for Asta to hear me that far? That’s so...unthinkable._ He shook his head to push the thought away and smiled. Of course Asta would be able to hear him no matter where because Asta was always able to do the unthinkable. 

“Well, Asta,” Recca began as she put both her hands on the back of her head, “looks like Yuno’s more responsible as always.” This earned a cringe from the grey-haired boy, who was technically older than the shorter, red-haired girl, but she acted (like everyone else) more maturely than Asta. “I mean you could make yourself useful with that light magic and get to planting and harvesting more tatoes.”

“But Yuno and I already did that, Recca,” complained Asta.

“I know, but I couldn’t do my share in the task ‘cause I’ve been having to take care of the little ones,” responded Recca, looking down at her foster-siblings. Nash, who was technically the same age as her but was shorter, was holding a baby Hollo, who was quietly sleeping, wrapped snugly in a blanket. On her other side was Aruru, who was as shy, if not more, as her foster-brother Yuno, clinging onto Recca’s pant leg ever since she could start walking. She knew the little kid didn’t have trust issues; it was just her timidness that made her so clingy. Sometimes, she and Yuno would be unconsciously fighting for Asta’s warm embrace while they slept in the same room together since the orphanage church was only big enough to afford three bedrooms--one for Father Orsi, one for Sister Lily, and one for the kids. Recca smiled at the thought, remembering one night when Aruru clung to Recca after she lost her battle to Yuno, who was on the other side of Asta, clinging tightly to him by the waist, deepening the two’s embrace and preventing Asta from rolling back to the other side.

Asta smirked. “You’re just too lazy to admit that you were too lazy again, huh?”

Recca smiled back and responded, “You know, for someone so irresponsible you sure are sharp, Asta!”

Asta waved her off as he headed towards the field to do his foster-sister’s work. He didn’t mind it really because he had a lot of pent-up energy to spare. Also, he knew that Recca was only partly-lying because while he, Yuno and Recca were working in different sections of the field earlier that day, he had seen Nash chasing after Aruru, who was running for Recca, asking her to come play with her. Recca, having taken after Asta’s playful nature, obliged to the smaller, black-haired girl’s plea, happy that she technically had an excuse to not work that morning. 

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Town Square, Nighttime_

Unfortunately for Yuno, it had already gotten dark when he arrived at the square. Even worse was the fact that it began to snow, the cold snap evident in his frosty breath every time he breathed out. The snow was not helpful at all since his already-worn-out boots barely had any traction as is. As if right on schedule, he slipped and fell face-first onto the soft snow that had quickly accumulated as a thin white blanket on the ground. _Ow, ow...I’ve got to be more careful not to slip again. My boots aren’t made for this weather_ , Yuno thought as he picked himself up, dusting the snow off his pants and shirt and wiping off the tears with his forearm. He took in a cold breath before he started off again. _I should really hurry before it gets too dark for me to see where I’m going_. Little did the boy know that a drunkard, who was just kicked out of the town’s tavern for not being able to pay his tabs, had seen the blue stone necklace wrapped around Yuno’s neck. Locking onto his prize, the drunkard wickedly grinned to himself. Guessing that the boy was alone, he retraced the boy’s footsteps that were marked in the snow--his most likely path back home. Rounding the corner, he hid in the shadows, awaiting his prey…

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Mayor’s House, Nighttime_

_Some minutes after Yuno had slipped_

“Tell Father Orsi that the letter was received, and it’s not a problem at all. I’ll make sure to add some extra in the orphanage church’s tato share when I allocate them tomorrow. Be careful on your way back--it’s getting dark out there,” said the town mayor as he looked down at the raven-haired boy. The man was probably the same age as Father Orsi, evident in his wrinkling skin and his blond hair that began to have some white hairs growing on his sides. Though the two men weren’t related, they still gave off that same warm, fuzzy feeling that felt like an extra layer of protection against the cold winds of winter. It made everyone in the town trust the two like everyone’s father-figures.

“Yes, sir. Thank you for your kindness,” said Yuno. He bowed to the man as a sign of respect and turned back to follow the path he took. Satisfied that he had successfully completed his task, Yuno was elated that he finally got to go back home to spend more time with Asta. As he rounded the corner, however, he bumped into the same drunkard that had seen his pendant earlier when he fell. “S-Sorry, sir. I didn’t see you there,” said Yuno, taking a step back. He looked up at the drunk man, mischievous intent present in his eyes as he eyed the pendant around the smaller boy’s neck. Yuno was terrified and was about to run to take another route but was pulled by the back of his shirt and forced to look at those sinister eyes once again.

“Where do...ya think...you’re goin’, kid?” asked the drunk man between hiccups. He promptly pulled the pendant from the boy’s neck. “I’ll be...taking...this from you,” he slurred. He threw Yuno to the ground who, thankfully, landed on the soft snow.

Beginning to cry, Yuno stood up and formed a small wind current on his palm. “T-that’s mine...g-give i-it back,” he whimpered.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_Right before Yuno’s pendant was snatched_

“Yuno’s taking forever,” Asta groaned. “Can’t we eat without him? I’m too hungry to wait.”

“No! That’s being mean to Big Bro Yuno!” shouted Recca, who was sitting next to him at the candlelit dinner table.

“Ugh...fine,” Asta grumbled. Resting his chin on his folded arms on the table, he watched the candlelight, the fire eating away at the wick as it melted the wax around it. _Where are you, Yuno?_ thought Asta. Suddenly, the candlelight flickered, sending a jolt through Asta’s body. Something was wrong. Rather than staying idle, he jumped for his shoes and headed straight for the door, too distracted to find Yuno to even take Father Orsi’s broom (he was going to take it but thought otherwise because he had just begun flying lessons with Father Orsi that afternoon when Yuno left).

“Where are you going, Asta?” asked Sister Lily worriedly, back from the kitchen when she heard the loud thud of Asta’s chair falling.

“Wherever Yuno is…” Asta quickly replied. He couldn’t explain it, but something grabbed at his heart the moment the candlelight flickered ever so slightly. Call it his brotherly intuition but rather than questioning the credibility of his gut, he just listened to it as it told him that something was happening to Yuno. Not giving any attention to the cold or the snow that trickled on him, Asta bolted for the town square at his fastest speed, some power coursing through him, evident in the snow that melted around his small frame. He arrived at his destination in record time only to hear a loud smack and a whimper from an all-too-familiar voice. Rounding the corner to the sounds’ origins, he was met with a sight that made the snow around him melt even more…

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Town Square_

_The moment Asta arrives_

To say Yuno was beat was an understatement. He had a bruise on his cheek from the loud slap the drunk man gave him as he reached for his pendant; he also felt the contents of his stomach beginning to climb back up after receiving a hard knee to the area earlier in the fight. He felt helpless. He wanted to give up. He shouldn’t have been stubborn and tried to take back his pendant. He should’ve just let the man take his keepsake because, then, he probably wouldn’t have gotten into this mess in the first place. Just when all hope seemed lost as Yuno gave up at trying to dodge the man’s punch, he heard it--Asta’s voice, his hero’s voice.

“Yuno!” Asta yelled, charging forward. He didn’t know what came over him--he acted on instinct, the instinct to protect those he loved. In a flash, Asta appeared before the man, shielding Yuno. Before he could even think of what to do as he saw the incoming punch, time felt like it slowed down for Asta. Rather than question whatever this thing was, he bumped the man’s outstretching elbow with the back of his wrist, redirecting the punch so that the man’s momentum would carry him backward. In addition to this, he punched the man’s stomach (since it was the only thing in front of him), which sent him flying a few feet back. Once time seemed to speed back up for Asta, he was wide-eyed, stunned at what he had done--the other two present shared the same expression as him. Blinking a few times in an attempt to register what just happened, Asta could only say, “Uhh…”

Rather than get his ass handed to him by a kid after getting the wind knocked out of him, he threw the pendant at Asta, who easily caught it. Standing back up, he put his hands in his pocket and turned to walk away, heading home. “Take your goddamn pendant, kid. I only wanted it to pay for my drinks,” he shouted at the two, who were still trying to process what had just transpired. “Good for nothing barkeeper...can’t take a hint that I’m getting paid at the end of the month...honestly...gah...whatever,” he mumbled to himself as he kicked at the snow.

Still shocked from what Asta had done, Yuno quietly sobbed, “A-Asta...why did you save me?”

Turning back to his foster brother, he kneeled in front of him and said, “Because I’m gonna become Wizard King. I’ve gotta prove to everyone that me, you--anyone--can become the Wizard King as long as they work hard. He added, rather smugly, “Also, I’ve gotta start earning people’s respect if I want them to listen to me, so I figured that right now was a nice time to start.” He was about to wipe the tears off of his foster brother’s cheeks, only to have his hand intercepted by Yuno’s forearm, who wiped the tears himself.

Steeling himself by putting a stoic frown on his face, Yuno said, “Starting today...I’ll never cry again...because if I’m going to believe what you just said, that I could--no--I will become Wizard King, then I can’t be a crybaby anymore.”

“That’s more like it!” Asta grinned, giving the change in attitude a thumbs-up. He then added, “Hey, Yuno…”

“Yeah?” Yuno asked.

“If you and I are going for the same goal...I guess that makes you...my rival!” Asta declared, holding out a fist in front of Yuno.

Smiling, he bumped Asta’s fist with his own to acknowledge the other’s declaration and said, “I guess that also makes you my rival, Asta.” Thinking that it was all over, his wrist of his outstretched hand was pulled towards Asta. Then, Asta planted a kiss on Yuno’s forehead, surprising the bruised raven-haired boy, and rested his forehead on Yuno’s. Opening his eyes after the kiss, his eyes locked onto those passionate, determined viridian-colored eyes, his throat suddenly feeling dry and his heart beating too hard in his chest for it to be normal.

Foreheads still touching as he looked at those amber-colored eyes, without a blink, Asta said, “Even if we’re rivals, Yuno. Just know this: whatever has happened, whatever will happen, I have and always will love you.” With that he turned and bolted off for the orphanage, yelling back at Yuno, who was frozen in place. Asta pretended as if nothing happened. “If you’re gonna be my rival, Yuno, you’ve gotta be able to beat me at everything! Last one home’s a rotten egg!”

Yuno had no idea what just happened. He passed his fingers over the area where Asta planted that kiss, still feeling the heat lingering on it, a smile made its way onto his lips. He felt like he was going to die with how his stomach flipped and how hard his heart was beating. As he ran to chase his rival, the words Asta said echoed in his head:

_Yuno...I have...and always will...love you. Yuno...I...have...and...will...love you. Yuno...I...and...love you. Yuno. I love you._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains highly-sensitive material that may not be suitable for some readers. I did my best to mark the scene with the horizontal line function so that in the case you do feel uncomfortable, you can skip it without losing too much information to understand the plot progression.
> 
> It was very difficult writing this scene since I have not a single clue to how the people involved feel. Basically, I had to do some online research on court cases and find other fanfictions that contained the acts. I do not really feel sorry if I wrote that section horribly.
> 
> Thank you for understanding. Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Grimoire Tower _

_ Seven years since the boys’ declaration of their rivalry _

Yuno, accompanied by an overzealous Asta, was making his way into Hage Village’s Grimoire Tower for the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. Yuno was excited, too, but he just didn’t show it outwardly as much as the grey-haired boy beside him, who was making those around him even more uncomfortable than they already were because of the ceremony. This was it--the “big day” as Asta often referred to. This was the day that he and Asta would obtain their grimoires--one step closer to their dreams of becoming Magic Knights and the Wizard King. 

Ever since the declaration of their rivalry, he and Asta had become competitive with each other when not too long ago before that, Yuno would have just given in and let Asta win. Their competitive spirit grew and their rivalry became more fierce as the years went on. Unfortunately, as they grew in magic skill, Yuno’s feelings for Asta had also grown. Now that he was older and had “the talk” with Father Orsi and Sister Lily, he understood what those feelings were. Though it made him embarrassed at first to admit such a thing about someone that he viewed as his brother, despite not having the same blood, that awkwardness went away the more he contemplated it and the more he saw Asta’s eyes, which only held pure love for him. It really didn’t help that Asta never got the growth spurt he wanted, making Yuno tower over him and changing people’s earlier assumptions that Asta was the older brother of the two. How could this be a predicament? Everytime Asta wanted Yuno to go train with him or do something else, Yuno would turn him down, afraid to be alone with him. Everytime Yuno turned him down, he had these puppy-dog eyes, along with his bottom lip jutted out, that always made Yuno cave in as he stared at those pleading eyes. The times he and Asta were alone, a fire would ignite inside of him unlike before, wanting to kiss those soft lips that had planted a kiss on his forehead that night they declared their rivalry. 

Yes, it was quite obvious at that point that Yuno was in-love with Asta--madly in-love. He didn’t want to believe it and denied it at first, but everytime he and Asta would curl up together in bed with Asta, though being smaller now, spooning his taller figure, Yuno got hard--too fucking hard for him to fall asleep. So when he knew that Asta was sound asleep, he had to sneak out quietly into the bathroom in the middle of the night to do...unholy things that included Asta’s image in order to...relieve himself. These “sessions” were always more intense in the summer when after he and Asta would train under the heat of the sun, both shirtless and panting from their sparring. He remembered one day when he saw Asta’s tight, muscular body as he wiped the sweat off of it using Yuno’s rag, accidentally (according to him) wiping one of his ass cheeks before realizing that it wasn’t his rag that he was using (Author: For those of you who don’t have ass + sweat = swass after exercising, you’re some lucky bastards). That night, his orgasm was so intense that he almost lost consciousness, knees buckling as he climaxed, biting down hard onto the same rag that was laced with Asta’s sweat to muffle his screams of pleasure. He was thankful that he hasn’t been caught by anyone yet because he wouldn't know how to explain himself. As he was thinking about all these things, Asta, unable to contain his excitement any longer, went ahead of Yuno, allowing Yuno to see that magnificent ass--firm but still having enough fat to jiggle in just the right way every time he moved it.  _ If I could just get a taste and then some, I could die a happy man _ , thought Yuno as he caught up with Asta, pushing the thought away for later that night. Neither of the two knew what was actually going to happen since the ceremony was always private, so they, along with all the other fifteen-year-olds, just stood there in silence, confused expressions evident on their faces.

“Welcome, fifteen-year-olds of Hage Village! Welcome!” bellowed an old man with a long, white beard matched with long white hair that was covered with a magenta-colored wizard’s hat. Everyone turned up at the old wizard floating on a magic carpet as he spoke using communication magic to amplify his voice. “I am Drouot, the Master of Hage Village’s Grimoire Tower! I am pleased to see such fresh faces, eager to receive their grimoires. I’m sure you’re all aware of what this ceremony entails, so my introduction should only take a moment before the actual ceremony begins,” he said, earning gleeful smiles and cheers from everyone in the building, who were asserting all the things they were going to do when they received their grimoires. Some people wanted to continue their simple way of life in Hage Village, but others, like Asta and Yuno, who were surprisingly waiting silently, aspired for more--leaving the Forsaken Realm to become a doctor or a lawyer or a Magic Knight. “The grimoire itself is a spellbook whose spells can only be used by the sorcerer whose soul is bound to the book. It is an extension of the user’s natural magic ability and is the source of power that many rely on in whatever walks of life they proceed by. Each grimoire in this library has front and back covers that hold the symbol of the Clover Kingdom--the three-leaf clover, with faith, love, and hope representing each leaf. Some of you may already know this, but I would like to make it official: No one in Hage Village has ever become a Magic Knight during my lifetime, therefore it would please this old man’s beating heart to, one day, hear the news that someone from our village in the Forsaken Realm has become a Magic Knight! As such, I challenge all of you present here, even if you feel you have your life decided for you, to take up the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam that will take place towards the end of this year! Now, without further ado, let the ceremony...begin!” With a wave of his hands, grimoires left and right flew into their rightful owners’ hands. 

This continued until the room suddenly grew silent as a flash of light accompanied by a gust of wind came from where Asta and Yuno were standing. Everyone turned their heads towards the two and gulped as they saw two four-leaf grimoires levitate in front of the two orphans, who took it into their, completely oblivious to the spellbooks’ significance. This intrigued the old wizard, who made it known to all the building’s occupants, “It seems we have been graced by God with two rare occurrences in the same building! These two boys have just received a four-leaf grimoire, the very same characteristic of the grimoire of the first Wizard King!” Everyone’s jaw dropped, including Asta’s (and maybe Yuno’s had he not been tensing it to keep his stoic face). “As I have already mentioned, a three-leaf grimoire’s leaves each represent faith, love, and hope but within a fourth leaf, should it ever occur, resides luck!” The old wizard did not want to mention the fifth leaf, which contained a demon, as he was afraid he might scare off the children. He turned his head towards the bewildered foster-brothers. “So, now I ask you two boys, what are your names?”

“Asta,” said the grey-haired orphan.

“Yuno,” said the raven-haired orphan.

“Ah, yes, Asta and Yuno, the children from the village’s orphanage church. It is a pleasure to finally meet you! Now, my question to the both of you: with the luck you now have, what do you wish to do with your grimoires?” asked the old wizard, raising an inquisitive brow towards the two.

They looked at each other, knowing the answer all-too-well. “I’m going to become the Wizard King!” shouted back the two in unison, earning cheers of encouragement from the crowd.

“Go for it, you two!”

“Yeah! What he said!”

“Marry me, Yuno!”

“Marry me, Asta!”

The two looked at each other again and rolled their eyes at the same time when they heard the pleas for marriage. They swore to each other that they wouldn’t let marriage and kids get in the way of their rivalry or their dreams of becoming Wizard King. It was odd to hear the same people that discouraged them from doing something so “inconceivable” just earlier that afternoon as they were all making the trek to the Grimoire Tower, overhearing the duo’s conversation. Was a four-leaf grimoire really that impressive to make people’s doubtful notions make a complete 180? Either way, before they could be dismissed for the day, Asta, unable to take the suspense any longer, opened his book and immediately, his brows furrowed in confusion. Asta raised his hand, waving it to catch the Master of the Grimoire Tower (and everyone’s) attention. “What is it, Asta?”

“Umm, I don’t know how to put it, Mr. Old Wizard,” Asta began, earning an eyebrow twitch from the old wizard at the mention of a new nickname, “but...umm...well, you see…”

“Just say whatever it is already, Asta,” scolded Yuno, who totally wasn’t curious.

“My magic attribute is light, but it says here, aside from the light spells, that I’ve also got sword magic,” Asta said, scratching his head as he tried to wrap his head around the possibility of having two magic affinities since he was always told that a person was always born with one.

Floating down immediately to Asta, Drouot asked worriedly, “Can I see?”, stretching out his hand to ask for Asta’s grimoire. The boy nodded and gave him his grimoire, keeping it open at the first page that stood out to him.  _ This isn’t right _ , thought the old wizard as he repeatedly scanned the text, flipping through pages, checking the cover, turning it upside-down, turning it sideways, only to come up with nothing.

As if understanding his confusion, Asta asked, “Is there something wrong, Mr. Old Wizard.”

With a sigh, the old wizard closed the book and handed it back to its owner, who promptly took it. “Other than that nickname, no, Asta, my boy.”

“Then why do you have that weird look on your face?” asked Asta, pointing at the old man’s wrinkled forehead, showing his bewilderment.

Summoning his communication magic spell that amplified his voice, the old wizard announced, “It seems that aside from two four-leaf clovers, God has graced us with another blessing! Yes, Asta, one of the owners of a four-leaf grimoire, also has dual-affinity magic!” Everyone’s jaw dropped again in the building, this time including Yuno’s. Patting Asta’s back, the old wizard reassured, “Don’t worry, Asta, my boy. This is nothing to worry about as this can only mean good things in your future, near and far...as long as you use this blessing with gratitude.”

“Easy enough,” said Asta, grinning his signature grin. “I’m always grateful for everything! Especially my brother, Yuno!” he exclaimed, pointing his thumb back at his foster brother, which made the other blush and turn his head away to hide it. The old wizard smiled and nodded at him, floating back up to his chambers. Clasping Yuno’s shoulder to turn him around, Asta showed him his grimoire and grinned smugly. “With this Yuno, I’m for sure gonna be the Wizard King!”

Yuno was envious, but only a little because that envy was overwhelmed by the pride he felt for his foster-brother and rival, who he knew had only good intentions. He smiled and said, “Not a chance.” Earning a pout from the shorter boy, who crossed his arms and looked away, grumbling incoherently. Rolling his eyes, he wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled him close--a gesture Asta always did for him as kids when he acted up. “Come on, let’s head back home so we can tell Father Orsi and Sister Lily the news.”

With that, the two sauntered out of the Grimoire Tower headed for home. Little did they know that there was a tall, black figure hiding in the shadows of the Grimoire Tower, overhearing everything. Grinning ominously, it stepped out into the light once everyone had exited the tower.  _ Two four-leaf-clover grimoires, one with wind affinity, the other with dual-magic affinity to light and sword _ , he thought, licking his lips,  _ the short one’s naïve, but the tall one’s gonna be a problem since he seems overly-protective of the other. No matter, I’ll get what I want and then some...this is gonna be...delicious _ . With that, the pale-skinned ex-Magic Knight unclasped his grimoire and walked out slowly, licking his lips, eager to catch his prey.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Grimoire Tower, Courtyard _

_ The moment the mysterious figure heads outside _

With the ceremony having concluded for a good bit now, Asta and Yuno were left alone as they strolled out of the Grimoire Tower’s courtyard headed for their orphanage church. Yuno still had his arm wrapped around Asta’s shoulder, who was no longer pouting like Aruru.  _ If he gets any closer, I’m gonna have a heart attack _ , thought Yuno, biting his bottom lip and breathing heavily (but quietly) through his nostrils as he tried to calm his nerves. It was times like these that Yuno was thankful for the height difference between them because whenever Asta got him going, he didn’t have to worry about Asta being all up in his face...mainly because he couldn’t reach his face.  _ Just tell him already, damnit! _ Yuno chided himself. The moment he knew that he was madly in-love with Asta, Yuno couldn’t bear to say what he truly felt for the grey-haired boy, afraid of being rejected. It was childish, he knew, and a bit hypocritical since he would always push Asta to just tell him whatever was on the other’s mind, assuring him that nothing would change between them no matter what he said. Whenever Asta did tell him that he was scared to tell him something, Yuno always felt a tinge of hope that he was going to confess before he did, always urging the boy to just come clean. He was always disappointed when it wasn’t what he wanted to hear--he couldn’t reach something because he was too short or something along those lines. Yuno did help him, though, but always reluctantly. After seven years, he had had enough. To hell with their oath to not let love in the way of their dreams! Yuno was so deeply in-love with Asta that he couldn’t handle another minute without attacking him with the kisses he fantasized about giving him, among other...unholy things. Resolving to do it right then and there, he paused in his stride, causing the shorter boy to look up at him in curiosity. God those eyes were so beautiful; he could look at them all day.

“Something wrong, Big Bro?” asked Asta, not noticing Yuno tense at the nickname.

_ Ok, that hurt, you little shit _ , thought Yuno. He understood him, though, because ever since he had outgrown the shorter boy, in addition to calling him by his name, Asta defaulted to what the other orphans referred to him as since he was now the tallest among the children. Taking a deep breath to calm himself again, Yuno was about to say those four words he had been practicing with Hollo, who didn’t understand anything, thankfully. But before he could say anything, the ground shifted underneath him. “What the-” was all Yuno could say before the rumbling was followed by glowing iron chains attempting to wrap him and Asta. Thanks to his quicker reflexes compared to Asta at the time (who was still wondering what Yuno was going to say), Yuno shoved his beloved, rather forcefully, out of the magical chains’ assault, leaving him as its only victim. “Asta, run!” Yuno yelled as he struggled in the chains’ grasps.

A voice coming from the side of the courtyard near the Grimoire Tower’s entrance said, “ **Chain Magic: Magic Iron Binding Chain Formation - Complete** . And where do you think you’re going, beautiful?” said the mysterious figure as he ran towards the two and kicked a scrambling Asta into the wall, which cracked upon impact. A barely-conscious Asta was tied up as well in the same chains that bound Yuno, barely fighting due to his dizzied state.

“Who the fuck are you?” Yuno said with a low growl towards the mysterious figure before them. The man, he guessed by the voice, had messy, wavy black hair like his, albeit longer, reaching just below his shoulders. He wore a black full-bodied suit and had a pair of belts, one for his clothes and one for his grimoire, if Yuno had to guess, which was now levitating between them since the man was facing Yuno. The man wore a dark-red cloak that was buttoned at his right shoulder, indicating no affiliation, or at least, none that Yuno knew of. But the most prominent feature of this mysterious figure was the burn mark spanning over the left side of his face, a stark contrast to his pale, white skin.

“I’m not liking that tone, young man,” said the man, clicking his tongue in chastisement while wagging his index finger. “What would your parents say--oh wait, you two have no parents!” shouted the mysterious man as he answered his own question, cackling.

This made Yuno’s blood boil. First, he hurts his Asta. Now, he comes at the two of them where it really hurts. Yuno wanted to hurt him so bad, but he couldn’t because whatever these chains were, it prevented him from using his mana.

As if knowing what he was thinking, the mysterious man said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Yuno. My iron chains essentially seal your mana once you're bound to them, preventing you from casting any spells. The name’s Revchi Salik, I’m an ex-Magic Knight of the Purple Orcas, and I’ve come for this,” taking Yuno’s grimoire,“ and that,” pointing at Asta, who was wide-eyed the moment he saw the ex-Magic Knight point a finger at him. “I’m gonna sell these grimoires for the high prices they’re worth and take that dual-affinity kid as my bitch.”

“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare,” said Yuno, adding as much venom to his threat as he could muster.

Revchi only cackled at his threat. “And. What. Are. You. Gonna. Do. About. It?” he asked, mocking the raven-haired boy.

Before Yuno could answer back, Asta yelled, “He’ll fight you! I’ll fight you! We’ll both fight you and beat you! We’ll show you how a true Magic Knight is supposed to act! Fair and square!” Asta didn’t know what he was saying or what he was going to do, but like hell he was going to put up with someone who dared to tarnish the Magic Knights’ good name.

This only served to amuse the ex-Magic Knight even more, who cackled even louder. Walking towards him, he gave the struggling grey-haired boy a once-over then set his gaze upon his eyes, malicious intent clear as day in them. “And how do you plan on doing that? Honestly, how do two low-life, good-for-nothing  _ peasants _ like you plan to beat a former first-class junior Magic Knight? Don’t tell me you plan to use this?” he asked him, waving Yuno’s four-leaf grimoire in his face. Then, he reached for Asta’s grimoire only to be burned by it, shocking him a bit.  _ So he’s that powerful, huh? _ thought Revchi as he looked at his burned hand. “Oh...kitten’s got claws. But I like it when they play hard to get. It makes what I’m about to do all the more... _ delectable _ .”

“What do you..!” was all Asta could say before he was pinned down to the ground with the chains around his body loosening, only to wrap painfully tight around his wrists and ankles as they slammed him to the ground. Revchi leaned down and caressed his victim’s jawline, causing the one below him to shiver under his touch.

* * *

Knowing what he was going to do, Yuno futilely struggled even more. He yelled, “Ast..!” before his mouth was covered by another set of chains. Muffled, Yuno could only watch in horror at what the man was about to do to his beloved. He paled as he saw the ex-Magic Knight pull his pants down, revealing his already hard member, twitching, aching to be wrapped around some heat.

Eyes practically bulging out his sockets, Asta tried to break free but to no avail. He pleaded with the half-naked man, “Please Mr. Salik! Please! Don’t do this! Sister Lily and Father Orsi said that only people who loved each-”

“Shut the fuck up, kid!” shouted Revchi, giving Asta a punch square in the face, breaking his nose, which began to bleed. Kneeling down to rip Asta’s pants and underwear to shreds, he saw the lean muscle that the smaller boy had that contrasted with his soft, tan skin, which served to make him even harder. Lifting his legs up and positioning himself at the shorter boy’s entrance, he looked up and saw the boy crying and looking away to any direction but in front. Grabbing his chin, Ravchi forced those pleading, innocent eyes to look at him.

“P-please, mister, please...st-” was all Asta could say before he was backhanded with the loud slap echoing in the nearly empty courtyard. Crying, he whimpered when his face was grabbed again by those cold hands to look up into those equally cold, heartless eyes. The ex-Magic Knight placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth, licking some blood before he returned his attention to the boy’s entrance.

“Let me teach you a lesson, little boy,” Revchi began. He slammed into him with his entire length without a care in the world as he felt a certain liquid spill from the boy’s entrance--what he could have guessed was blood. The moment he did this, the boy underneath him screamed at a pitch so high that it could’ve shattered glass. The boy was thrashing under him trying to get him to pull out, and it was taking everything in Revchi’s willpower to not fuck him unconscious as his member was being enveloped so tightly in what he could only describe as pure ecstasy. He started pounding into Asta, each thrust becoming faster and harder than the last.

Yuno, who saw the man continuously pound into Asta without any care for his well-being, was thrashing wildly, muffled screams also echoing in the courtyard, trying to get the attention of any passerby. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t stand seeing the innocence of such a pure, compassionate boy be taken by a criminal.  **_Kill him_ ** , said a mysterious voice in his mind.  _ What the hell was that? _ Yuno wondered.  **_Use me...kill...the man_ ** , said the voice again. Yuno had had enough. He let whatever being that was trying to coax him take over his body, wishing it to protect his Asta at whatever the cost. 

Ignoring the taller boy’s feeble attempts at escape, not noticing the dark presence that was slowly taking over him, Revchi gave all his attention to the boy under him. Pulling out, only to slam into him again, earning another scream, “Listen well, you pathetic weaklings: There is no such thing as,” pulling out and slamming into him again, “fair. There is no such thing as,” pulling out and slamming into him again, “faith. There is no such thing as,” pulling out and slamming into him again, feeling his climax thanks to the tightness that enveloped him, “hope. There is no such this as,” pulling out for the last time, he clenched his hips as hard as he could to deliver one final, hard, meaningful thrust into the sobbing form, “love.” With that, Revchi grunted and came into the boy, excess spilling out onto the grass. Insensitive to his victim’s pained state, he pulled out and added, “Especially for a used toy like you.” He spat at the fading form to add insult to injury. Satisfied with his work, Revchi stood up and put his pants on. Preparing to take his prized-possession, he wondered out loud, “Now...where were-”

“ **How dare you hurt my Asta!** ” said Yuno, whose voice was intermingled with another, sinister voice; Yuno’s voice was hollow compared to the other’s, making the demon-possessed boy sound like some extraterrestrial. Yuno, who now presented with a dark aura, broke free of the chains with a burst of wind stemming from all over his body. This knocked the ex-Magic Knight off his feet, who felt the surge in dark, negative mana from his mana-sensing chains before they had broken. His hands started to tremble as he looked down at the four-leaf grimoire he was holding. It was now sprouting a fifth leaf and beginning to turn the gold clover to black and the rest of the cover into a blood-red. “ **You will pay with your-** ”

Consciousness starting to fade, Asta yelled for the only thing that came to mind, not knowing that he cut off a demon-possessed Yuno that was about to kill the man that had just raped him, “YUNO!” With that said, he let darkness take over him.

Upon that cry for help that caught the demon-possessed Yuno’s attention, Revchi noticed that the fifth leaf was disappearing and the color of the grimoire turning back to its original white. Knowing that he had no time to waste, the ex-Magic Knight, now even more a criminal than before, took this as a chance for him to flee. Scrambling out of the courtyard as fast as he could, he summoned his broom and high-tailed it out of Hage Village to somewhere else in the boonies, anywhere else but this filthy village that now harbored whatever creature he had seen back in the courtyard. As he was flying, he noted that the village was no longer in sight, so he took this moment to take a deep breath and contemplate everything that had developed and his next moves, thankful for his training as a Magic Knight before he had deserted his position. As he thought about everything that happened, he remembered throwing the raven-haired boy’s grimoire at him out of fear in order to appease whatever monster the wind-affinity mage was controlled by. _Tch. How foolish of me to let go of something so valuable and just when I thought I had something good enough to make Captain Gueldre reinstate me_ , he chided himself. He then remembered the vile act that he had done when he violated that grey-haired orphan, grinning dementedly as he recalled that wonderful feeling around his member and being able to deposit his seed into that no-longer-virgin hole, which made him half-hard as he thought about turning around and getting in another round to release all the pent-up sexual tension that he had let himself build up. He shook his head, pushing the thought away, knowing better than to risk seeing that monster-for-a-brother that that kid had. _Just what was that thing?_ He sighed, _Oh well, whatever it was, at least I got a hot piece of ass. Serves that naïve little brat right to believe in such frivolous things as faith, hope, and love_. _Love my ass--he was lucky enough to get this dick_ _that will probably be anything as close to ‘love’ that that pipsqueak will get now that he's been used._

* * *

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Courtyard _

_ Asta’s Mind _

_ Right after Revchi slams into Asta _

_ Please...please, mister. S-Stop... _ cried Asta. He fell to his knees and clutched his chest as tears streamed down his face. He then felt a dark presence swirl around his body. He shuddered at the cold feeling that crept up his back. The presence began to take shape. Then, Asta noticed that his small figure was being cupped between two giant black claws. He looked around the unfamiliar, empty void then looked up to see blood-red eyes, with yellow pupils in the shape of a feline’s, looking down at him.

**_Hello, little human. It’s nice to finally meet someone worthy of me, but you’re just not ready yet_ ** , said the demon, touching Asta’s forehead lightly, making the small boy crumble in his palms and fall into a deep slumber,  **_but you will be soon…_ ** Now that he was alone in his host’s mind, he looked around and noticed through his host’s eyes that another human was being possessed. Knowing the familiar negative mana, the demon smiled and whispered to the boy,  **_When you wake up, yell ‘Yuno’_ ** **.** With that, the demon dropped the boy gently onto the ground (is there a ground in a void?) and disappeared to hide in his host’s mind, still tired from the possession.

Waking up in the same monochromatic void that he last found himself in, the first thing Asta did was say, “Yuno,” not knowing that his physical body actually yelled out the name before he was again consumed by darkness.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Courtyard _

_ Right after Asta calls for Yuno _

Sensing whatever dark presence he let himself be overpowered by withering away, Yuno ran for Asta. Kneeling next to him as he saw his beloved unconscious, half-naked, with red and white liquid oozing out of his entrance, pooling on the ground, Yuno was about to break his promise and cry. But before he could, his senses were brought back by the voice of the old wizard.

“Yuno, my boy, what happened!?” asked the old wizard, eyes widening as he saw a half-naked, unconscious Asta and a lifeless, trembling Yuno who was staring blankly between the old wizard and Asta. Approaching the two on his magic carpet, the old wizard became the voice of reason and ordered, “Hurry! We must get him to the orphanage church at once!” gesturing Yuno towards his carpet.

Yuno, having snapped out of his daze, steadied himself and picked up his and Asta’s grimoires and threw them on the magic carpet. Then, he cautiously picked up Asta bridal-style, putting the unconscious body gently onto the carpet. The moment they took flight, Yuno put Asta’s head on his lap and stroked his hair both to calm himself down and (hopefully) provide some comfort to the violated body. With a shaky breath, he said, “W-We h-have to hurry,” as he used some of his wind magic to propel them forward.

Turning back a bit surprised at the sudden gain in speed, the old wizard was even more shocked when he laid eyes upon what was once Asta’s white and gold four-leaf grimoire, which now had a black five-leaf clover and blood-red covering.  _ Oh dear. Not this boy...Not this sweet, innocent boy _ , he thought. Turning his attention back in front of him, he sighed at having finally seen a five-leaf grimoire with his own eyes but also understanding what the ancient texts meant by “with a cost”. He could only hope that the now demon-possessed boy could recover and use his adversities as motivation rather than as an excuse to do anything even more irrational.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if you caught the foreshadowing to something very, very late in the story...
> 
> If you found it, congratulations! But keep it to yourself...


	7. Chapter 7

_Forsaken Village_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_As Yuno and Drouot make their way to the orphanage church with an unconscious Asta_

Aruru tugged on the hem of Father Orsi’s cassock with Hollo following suit. “Where’s Big Brother Yuno and Asta?” she asked, looking up at the father-figure worriedly. She had noticed a frown on the old priest’s face as he looked out the church’s window in the direction of the Grimoire Tower. The light drizzle that began not too long ago had just turned into a deluge with thick pellets of rain hitting the old, wooden church in all directions. In fact, the downpour was so strong that the roof began to leak, evident by the occasional drip of water coming from the rooftop of the church that was being collected into a rain bucket that was now half-full. Aruru and Hollo were scared, like any other child, whenever there was a thunderstorm. Asta, to placate the frightened toddlers, had taught the two that it was just the sky crying, which somewhat helped but made them question it slightly since Sister Lily had taught them that people only cried whenever they were hurt. The older inhabitants laughed light-heartedly whenever Aruru and Hollo said that if the sky was like a person, then it only made sense that they should give it a hug to make them stop crying, which prompted Asta to attack the two with light kisses all over their face because they were “just so cute”. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning followed by a loud clap of thunder, which served to frighten the toddlers even more, clinging to Father Orsi’s cassock a little tighter.

Sensing their fear, Father Orsi knelt down and hugged the toddlers, slowly rubbing their backs to soothe them. “There, there, little ones. Don’t be scared. Remember what your Big Brother Yuno and Asta told you? They’ll be right back as soon as they get their grimoires. Now, you know how long it takes to get to the Grimoire Tower, even on a broom right?” This earned him a nod from the two kids that still clung to him. “Well, it’ll take a little longer now that the sky is crying. So, you know what?” he asked, now holding the toddlers in front of him whose faces lit up at the question, making him smile, “Why don’t you two head on back to the dinner table so that you could give your Big Brother Yuno and Asta a surprise?”

Wiping their tears with their forearms and giving their Father Orsi a smile, the toddlers said in unison, “Ok!” and bounded back to the dinner table as fast as their little feets could bring them.

“Tch,” huffed Nash, who was leaning on the doorframe arms crossed on his chest as he listened to his foster-father’s conversation with his younger foster-siblings. “Why don’t you just tell them the truth, old man. It’s ‘rain’. R-A-I-N, ‘rain’. Or if you can’t, why not just say something funny, like, I don’t know...the sky is taking a pis-”

Father Orsi cut him off with a firm hand chop to the top of the head, “Watch your mouth, boy! And call me ‘Father’ or anything at least more respectful than ‘old man!”

Cradling the top of his head, Nash grumbled, “Ow...that was uncalled for. Plus, Big Brother Yuno and Asta say worse-”

Nash was again interrupted, but this time by someone who had kicked the front door open. A bit startled by the noise, he and Father Orsi went to the entrance of the orphanage church and were left speechless, faces paling as if their souls had left their bodies. There, at the entrance, was an old wizard, but next to him was his Big Brother Yuno, trembling and drenched from head to toe by the torrential downpour outside, cradling a half-naked, unconscious Asta. Nash couldn’t process what was happening before him, including why Asta looked like the bottom part of his body’s clothing was mangled by some animal. He also noticed some sort of white and red liquid that covered his Big Brother Yuno’s arm that was near Asta’s bottom, dripping and beginning to collect on the floor beneath them.

Father Orsi didn’t want to believe what he was thinking. But first, he did the smart thing and clasped Nash’s shoulder to capture his attention, “Nash-”

“Father Orsi, Nash, what was that noise just..!” Sister Lily gasped, covering her mouth as she saw what she had just walked into.

Turning to Sister Lily, a solemn expression written on his face, Father Orsi calmly said, “Sister Lily, please take Nash and the other kids to our bedrooms. Prepare the linens for the children. Nash and Recca will be sleeping in my room with me, and the toddlers will be sleeping in your room with you. They will be having dinner in the bedrooms tonight as well before I have to...explain this occurrence to Nash and Recca.”

Understanding what the grey-haired priest was going to tell the older kids, Sister Lily calmly walked over to an open-mouthed, frozen Nash, making sure to cover his line of sight with her body. She gave Nash a gentle smile, who looked up and blushed, “Come now, Nash. Let’s get the dinner plates ready and bring Aruru and Hollo to my bedroom, ok?”

Nash simply nodded, still not understanding what was happening but thankful that Sister Lily was so close to him. With that, the two headed for the dinner table to fetch the toddlers and Recca.

Knowing that this was a personal matter, the old wizard clasped the raven-haired boy’s shoulder behind him to let him know that he was headed out. He didn’t take the time to make sure that his departure was acknowledged, immediately turning back and hopping on his magic carpet for the Grimoire Tower. He had an urgent call to make to his son, Julius Novachrono. It was the least he could do for the boys when he couldn’t be there to protect either of them in their times of need. _I’m so sorry, Asta, my boy. I hope everything will be alright_ , thought the old wizard as he was flying on his magic carpet.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_The moment Drouot left_

Thankful that the old wizard understood as well, Father Orsi took a deep breath to stabilize himself and turned his attention to the still-trembling Yuno, who had not moved a centimeter from where he was. As calm as he could, Father Orsi asked, “Yuno, what happ-”

“Raped,” Yuno whispered, not loud enough for Father Orsi to hear due to the thunderstorm that was still raging outside.

“What was-”

“Raped,” he said a little louder, but still not enough.

“Yuno, I can’t underst-”

“I SAID HE WAS RAPED, FATHER!” shouted Yuno, snapping his head up towards the old man.

Suspicions confirmed, Father Orsi’s fatherly instincts kicked in. _This isn’t the time to react, this is the time to act. Asta, my son, is losing blood as we speak_ , he thought. Taking another deep breath, he ordered calmly, “Come. Give him to me. Let’s go to your room. I’ll call Sister Lily for help.”

Nodding in agreement, he gave the still-unconscious and battered form of his beloved to Father Orsi, who gently took him in. He took his and Asta’s grimoire that was lying on Asta’s stomach, not paying any attention to the stark contrast in colors when they should’ve been nearly identical. Feeling that he was still trembling, he gripped the grimoires tightly and kept his head down as he followed Father Orsi to their room, which he vaguely remembered would now be vacant for just Asta and him.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_Orphans’ Bedroom_

Without a moment to waste, Father Orsi gently laid Asta on the floor mattress made of hay. He asked Yuno to fetch him a fresh set of clothes, telling him anything would suffice since the clothes the orphans had only came from donations from families in the small village. Carefully stripping his foster-son’s tattered clothes off of him, he finally saw the full extent of what the monster--whoever it was--did to him: his ankles and wrists were red from the flesh being broken off by what he supposed were chains that dug into the areas; his face was worse with dry tears mixed with dry blood that originated from his still-bleeding nose; he also noticed all the bruises on his face and that the bridge of his nose was slanted, indicating that it was, thankfully, just dislocated rather than broken; bring his gaze a little downward, he noticed another discolored purple-yellowish bruise on his right oblique, most likely from someone kicking him. He didn’t bother to look down any further, remembering where that red and white liquid was seeping from when Yuno was holding him. He knew what had happened but even Yuno’s confirmation was insufficient for him to believe that someone had the malice to commit such a despicable act on his pure, innocent foster-son. He gritted his teeth, fighting back tears, _Stop it, Orsi! This is not the time for your feelings! Your son is hurt. Him first, then you!_ he chided himself.

Yuno had now returned with a troubled Sister Lily who was in the same state as Father Orsi--on the brink of tears but maintaining her composure as best she could in front of Yuno, who was still trembling and wearing a deep frown on his face. Keeping his eyes off of the now fully-naked form of his beloved, he handed the one-piece white nightgown to Father Orsi, who unfolded it to reveal the entirety of the article of clothing.

Brows furrowing and frown deepening, he looked at Yuno and Sister Lily and asked, “What is this?”

“I’m so sorry, Father. You know the church only relies on donations and with the younger ones’ clothes being too small and your and Yuno’s clothes being too big, I could only opt for one of my nightgowns,” apologized Sister Lily.

“I’m sorry for being so rude. It’s very kind of you to lend your clothes to Asta,” sighed Father Orsi. He turned back to his foster-son, who was lying on the floor-mattress, face still contorted in pain. “Well, we can’t put this on until he’s clean.”

“Of course, Father,” agreed Sister Lily as she rounded the mattress to the other side of Asta. She knelt down and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she saw all of Asta’s injuries. Before she continued, she looked up at Yuno, who was also looking at Asta, clearly distraught. “Yuno, would you like to stay and help or would you like to go eat dinner? I know you’re worried about Asta, but you can’t forget about yourself either.”

Yuno didn’t know what to say. Logically, Sister Lily was correct because he wouldn’t be able to take care of his Asta if he got sick, especially since he was still in his soaking wet clothes, not bothering to change them as Asta was his first priority. Emotionally, though he hated to admit it, he didn’t trust any male, even his Father Orsi, who cared for his beloved like his own son, with Asta; he was afraid that if he turned away for even just a second, another man would ambush his Asta and do the same that that filthy Revchi had done to him. Pushing his feelings for Asta aside, he stuck to logic and said, “I think I’ll go change and have dinner...please be careful with him.”

With that, the two adults nodded and Yuno left to go change. Father Orsi and Sister Lily took out their grimoires to find a healing spell. “ **Water Magic: Holy Healing Hands** ,” said Sister Lily. With that, water surrounded her hands. She set her eyes on the first thing that she knew Father Orsi was too scared to take care of--Asta’s entrance. As she lifted Asta’s legs up to gain better access, she hovered her hands over the mamed entrance. Her hands began to glow, signifying that the water healing magic was doing its job as the pool of blood and semen were slowly being drawn out of the violated hole and covers, dissipating into thin air as the liquids made contact with her water magic. “There, there, Asta. Everything’s going to be alright. Father Orsi and I have got you now.”

Father Orsi looked away as Sister Lily was doing this, turning his gaze to Asta’s face, which seemed to still be in pain even with the healing process. Before opening his own grimoire, he talked to the unconscious boy as if he were awake, “Alright, Asta, my boy. I’m going to reset your nose. This is going to hurt, but it’ll feel a lot better once it’s done. Be brave.” With that, he placed his hands over the smaller figure’s nose and reset it, success indicated by the loud pop. Father Orsi didn’t miss Asta’s face scrunching up when he reset the bone, but he was glad that it relaxed a little after, probably from being able to finally breathe properly. He got a washcloth and dipped into the bowl of lukewarm water that Sister Lily brought with her, wringing it of excess water. Gently, he wiped off all the dirt, blood, and tears on Asta’s face, taking care when he went over the bruises. He continued this with the rest of his upper body, thankful that Sister Lily had finished her healing on his lower body and was now beginning on his right oblique so that he didn’t have to see Asta’s damaged nether regions. Once he was done wiping his entire body, he dipped the washcloth again, wringing it of excess water, and folded it on top of Asta’s forehead. With cleaning finished, he opened his grimoire to a certain page and recited, “ **Fire Magic: Uriel’s Solemn Vigil**.” With that, orbs of fire scattered throughout the room, lighting it up even more. The flames’ magic seemed to be being drawn into the unconscious form, making his entire body glow faintly.

“Who would do such a thing, Father?” said Sister Lily, who was mindfully slipping on her white nightgown onto Asta’s healing form.

“I don’t know, Sister. But whoever it is, they had better not come near this church, or so help me God, I will show him my wrath!” shouted the grey-haired man quietly.

Covering her mouth with her fingers to stifle a laugh, Sister Lily teased, “Oh, Father. Your magic is far too weak to do that.”

Sweat-dropping at the comment, Father Orsi retorted, “Sister Lily, your nobility is showing again.”

“Oh my, forgive me, Father,” she said, having realized that she was being too harsh, again. She did know that Father Orsi knew that his magic was weak compared to hers. She should’ve known that he said it out of instinct as the orphans’ father-figure.

Finally letting out a sigh of relief, Father Orsi said, “It’s alright, Sister. I know you didn’t mean it.” He stood up and added, “Come. Let’s tell Yuno so that the boys can rest. We’ve had a far too eventful evening tonight.” With that, Sister Lily complied and followed Father Orsi out of the room, telling Yuno, who was waiting outside the door, that Asta was better now.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church, Midnight_

_After Father Orsi and Sister Lily tended to Asta’s wounds_

It was probably midnight now. A good couple of hours since he had first stepped into the orphanage church with Asta in his arms. Yuno was leaning against one of the walls of their bedroom, looking out at the moon. He couldn’t sleep--not with the fear of something bad happening to his Asta again. He glanced over at his unconscious beloved’s form, still in-pain, indicated by the contorted face he wore while he rested. Yuno felt guilty--guilty that he couldn’t do a single thing to save Asta, having to watch him scream as he was being violated, unable to do anything but watch in horror as his innocence was taken away from him. As he kept looking at the faintly-glowing Asta (thanks to Father Orsi’s fire healing magic), the recent events kept playing over in his head--the iron chains that bound him, making him powerless, Asta’s innocent pleas, his tears, his blood, his screams as the man came into him and spat at him for good measure. The words those man said kept playing in his head over and over:

_There is no such thing as faith...hope...there is no such thing as love...especially for a used toy like you._

Yuno growled at the last part because how dare he? How dare Revchi reduce his Asta to an object? Especially the likes of him--an ex-Magic Knight who probably committed more crimes aside from what he had done to his Asta. Revchi Salik...Purple Orcas...Yuno burned these details into his mind. _Starting today, aside from my dreams of becoming the Wizard King to protect those I love. I’m making it my personal vendetta to hunt you down and make you pay, you bastard_ , thought Yuno as he began to growl, shaking with the thirst for blood. He knew he felt something when he let whatever dark aura consume him; it was one simple word, the thing he thought would make him strong enough to protect his Asta so that no one but him could ever lay another finger on his beloved. One word: power. Immeasurable power that coursed through his veins as he felt like he could kill anyone that stood in his and Asta’s way. This made him shake even more with the thirst for blood becoming more prominent as he licked his lips. 

Before he could consider giving any more attention to those thoughts, his head snapped towards Asta, who was shaking uncontrollably as well, seeming like he sensed Yuno’s hatred and hunger for power. Yuno crawled over to Asta and looked him over, ignoring the tingling feeling he felt in his nether regions because all he was worried about was how he could comfort Asta like the other always did for him. It seemed so effortless for Asta to comfort Yuno, or anyone for that matter, always seeming to know what was the right thing to do at the time. Yuno wondered, _What would Asta do?_ But he came up with nothing. Instead, he just settled for what he had done earlier that day as the old wizard taxied them back to the orphanage church. He picked up Asta’s head and settled it on his lap, stroking his hair gently. As he did this, Asta’s body seemed to react positively: his tremors gradually stopped followed by his face relaxing for the first time since he was abused. Although Yuno wanted to continue, the feeling he got of being so close and yet so far from those soft, pink lips and remembering the sight of Asta’s fully-naked form in all of its lean, muscular glory, was enough to make Yuno realize that he shouldn’t be with Asta, having these thoughts, especially right now since the sleeping form beneath him had just been violated. Leaning down so that his forehead rested on Asta, he leaned in closer so that their lips were a centimeter apart and whispered, “I’m sorry, Asta. I can’t be here...not with me like this and you like that.” Yuno pulled away, sighing in defeat and chiding himself for not closing the distance. He laid Asta’s head back gently onto the pillow and replaced his dry washcloth with a wet one. He stood up and reluctantly left the room with a pillow and blanket so that he could sleep outside where he could still be near Asta if he ever needed anything, but not be in the same room as him.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_Twenty-four hours since Asta was violated_

Yuno groaned as he laid on the grass outside the church. It was the spot he and Asta would lay on after a grueling day’s work followed by intense training--a jog around Hage Village, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups on a sturdy tree branch, followed by another jog, and topped off with a sparring session. It was enough to make Yuno want to puke every time they did it, not because he was so tired--that was a given--but rather because Asta would always be up for more as if what they had done was just a warm-up. Whenever Yuno would decline the invitation, Asta would pout and just proceed with stretching...in front of him. He wasn’t checking out his magnificent ass since Asta did it facing away from him, claiming that he couldn’t do it with anyone watching because of the faces he made, honest, nor was he imagining Asta doing all those positions with him...in bed...naked. Feeling his face heating up, he shook his head to push the thought away. He got out his grimoire to study the spells that were present in them to distract his mind. As he was sitting up laying there, his concentration was ruined by Nash, who was barreling towards him as if he had seen a ghost, or worse--accidentally seen Sister Lily’s _hair_ that she kept hidden under her veil and coif.

“Big Bro Yuno! Big Bro Yuno!” Nash called to him.

As the ten-year-old brunette got closer, he noticed the terrified expression written all over his face. The moment he arrived in front of him, Yuno knew something was wrong because Nash was shaking. Standing up and clasping both hands on the smaller boy’s shoulders to steady him, he asked, “What’s wrong, Nash?”

Flailing his arms wildly, Nash slurred, “Oh God, Yuno...Sister Lily and Recca, they...crash...then Father Orsi, he...screamed...then the toddlers, they...and then screaming...and then I...and then...here.”

Resisting the urge to slap Nash for acting like Asta, he retracted his hands and pinched the bridge of his nose. He repeated calmly, “What the hell happened, Nash?”

Finally having caught his wind, Nash took a deep breath and held it in. Then, in one breath, rather loudly, he said, “Sister Lily wanted to check up on Asta to make sure he was okay, so she got his favorite tato dish ready and went upstairs, everyone was ok with that since Father Orsi was still crying and the toddlers were trying to comfort him and I didn’t care, but Recca said she wanted to also check up on him since she was worried about him after Father Orsi gave her and me the ‘talk’ last night, which is really nasty but I think it’s pretty cool by the way, but just really wrong what that I guy did to Asta anyways when they went to his room we thought everything was A-OK but it wasn’t because we heard a crash this made Father Orsi worried so he went inside but then we heard a scream, so the toddlers, not wanting to be left alone, went inside and then I heard more screaming but before I could come in, Father Orsi shouted and told me to get you so now I ended up here.”

_Ok, wow. That was impressive_ , thought Yuno, mouth agape as he tried to process what Nash had just said in one breath. “So, Asta--what happened to him? Is he ok? Nash, tell me. Is Asta ok?” Yuno asked, shaking his foster-brother violently.

“I don’t know, Big Bro,” admitted Nash, now getting dizzy. “Like I said, before I could come in and see what was happening, Father Orsi shouted at me and told me to find you, so I’ve got no idea what’s going on in there. But if you stop shaking me like some bag of tatoes, I’m sure both of us could find out.”

With that, Yuno stopped shaking Nash and sighed. “Sorry about that. Let’s go,” he said, bolting for Asta’s room, not bothering to make sure if Nash was following him.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_Orphans’ Room_

_As Nash and Yuno make their way to the room_

“Now Asta, my boy, calm down...it’s me, remember? Your Father Orsi,” he said, approaching the cowering figure before him, hands up to show that he meant no harm. Asta was waving a giant greatsword that was as pitch-black as a solar eclipse.

Asta had woken up from what felt like an eternity’s sleep, unaware of where he was or what was happening. The moment he heard footsteps, as if on instinct, he pulled out the giant greatsword out of his grimoire (not knowing he could do that) and slashed in the direction. Unbeknown to him, it was Sister Lily with a plate of his favorite tato dish--plain baked tatoes--that had just split in two with the ceramic plate falling and shattering all over the floor. This prompted Father Orsi to come in, which scared Asta, who was now suddenly terrified of men, backing up to the corner of the room farthest from him, screaming bloody-murder. Two kids that he vaguely recognized came in and started crying, making him accuse Father Orsi (whom he didn’t recognize like Sister Lily) of child trafficking. He heard other, smaller feet padding their way to the room, but unable to make its face known when the grey-haired “child trafficker” barked his name and told him to find someone...a name that rang familiar in his ears. Now he was here, shaking his greatsword to make the bad people go away, only able to say “Yuno.”

This time, it was the nun to speak, also approaching Asta’s trembling form in the same manner as the “child trafficker. “Asta, dear, it’s ok. It’s me, Sister Lily.”

“No...Yu...Yu...no. Yuno. Yuno. Yuno!” Asta hollered as he waved his greatsword harder, hoping that it would make the bad people disappear.

“Yes, we’ve got Nash getting him right now. In fact, they should be arriving any second,” Father Orsi said calmly, taking one step forward but two steps back as Asta waved the greatsword even harder.

“Yuno! Yuno! Yuno!” Asta cried again. This time, he was crying because he thought the “child trafficker” was going to hurt him like Mr. Salik. Suddenly, he heard more padding and began to tremble even more until he saw the only familiar form out of the bunch.

“Asta!” called Yuno as he came rushing into the room. He paused for a moment to look around and see what Nash described in one breath just by what he had heard. The moment he saw Father Orsi and Sister Lily carefully approaching a frightened Asta, trying to remind him who they were, he copied them so that he could try and get to his beloved. In a placating tone, Yuno said, “Hey, Asta. It’s me, Yuno. You remember me, right?” This made the crying form stop waving his greatsword and blink a couple of times to make sure he had heard Yuno right.

“Yuno?” Asta asked, tilting his head.

“Yeah, Asta. It’s me, Yuno,” he reassured him, smiling now that he was a couple of meters away from being able to touch him.

“Yuno…” Asta said, lips quivering. He dropped his greatsword and pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around them. He dropped his head between his knees and cried loudly into it.

Taking this as an opening, Yuno knelt down and swiped Asta into a bone-crushing hug. The crying figure’s body seemed to relax at the gesture as he buried his head into the taller boy’s chest, crying more. Yuno adjusted his position so that he could sit next to Asta as he cried. Once adjusted, he stroked Asta’s hair like the night before, making his trembling body relax even more. “Shh, shh...it’s ok, Asta. Yuno’s here now. I’m here now.”

Asta clutched Yuno’s black long-sleeved shirt, which was a little wet from Yuno’s sweat and Asta’s tears. Between shaky breaths Asta begged quietly, “Yuno...p-please...d-don’t ever leave me again.”

At this, Yuno hugged him a little tighter. He didn’t know what he meant, but he was sure as hell not going to do whatever he apparently did ever again. “I promise, Asta. I promise, I’ll never leave you ever again.” This statement made the once-trembling body, fully relax now.

Smiling at the affirmation, Asta said, “Thank you.”

With Asta’s crazed state subsiding, Yuno turned towards his foster-family, who were now recovered, having cleaned up the mess and calmed the crying toddlers. They all sat down near the entrance to the room, maintaining distance between them and Asta and Yuno. Wanting to get to the bottom of this, Yuno addressed the elephant in the room, “Tell me what happened.” With that, everyone chimed in to tell their part of the story.

Once they finished, all was clear to the three older occupants of the room (save Asta, who was now relaxed in Yuno’s embrace, tuning out the conversation). Father Orsi was the first to conclude, “Asta’s been traumatized by what happened to him. As for Yuno, it’s clear that the last thing he’ll only recognize and trust for a while will be you, Yuno.” He pointed at the raven-haired boy that was still stroking Asta’s hair. “We’re basically complete strangers to him, so we’ll have to introduce ourselves one-by-one, starting with the children, which should be easy. Sister Lily will follow and then, I’ll go last because according to him, I’m a ‘child trafficker.’”

“It’s not his fault that you look the way you do…” Nash snorted, earning him a firm hand chop to the top of the head by both Sister Lily and Father Orsi.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Father Orsi continued, “Anywho, Yuno, my boy, you’ll have to accompany him when we do this so that he won’t freak out and accidentally chop our heads off. This is in addition to you having to be with him 24/7. Do you think you can handle that?”

Before Yuno could answer, Nash grumbled, “It’s not like that’s a problem for him. He’s always with Asta 24/7 already...Might as well marry him...” This made Yuno blush uncontrollably and earned Nash another firm hand chop to the top of the head by the two adults. The only two who didn’t seem to understand what was happening were Aruru and Hollo, who were fighting against Recca’s grip, wanting to go and give Asta a hug to make him stop crying. 

Recca wasn’t able to hold on to the toddlers any longer as Aruru stomped on her foot and Hollo bit the hand that Recca was using to hold on to him, prompting the red-head to let go, allowing the toddlers to run to Asta. “Asta! Asta!” yelled the two as they ran at and clung onto the grey-haired boy’s white gown.

Recca, shocked by the the munity, shook her fist at the two and started, “You conniving little pieces of s-” Nash was quick to cover her mouth to muffle the swear, remembering how he got a beating from Asta after Aruru kept mindlessly saying “fuck” as she skipped around the town square one day after she had overheard Nash articulate the word, having stubbed his toe on a piece of cobblestone that was protruding from the ground. Not wanting either to learn another word, especially in front of Father Orsi and Sister Lily, he took this moment to finish Recca’s sentence for her, “Sunshine. Haha...that’s what she wanted to say. ‘You conniving little pieces of sunshine.’” Father Orsi and Sister Lily gave them the look of death to warn them of their impending doom but turned their attention back to the scene unfolding before them.

Startled by the toddlers, Asta reached to pat their heads but stopped the moment he realized what he was doing. Frown making its way to his face, Asta looked up at Yuno and asked, “Yuno?”

Yuno smiled at Asta and took his hand to place it on top of Aruru’s head, who giggled at the touch. “This sweet little angel is Aruru. She can be a bit much whenever you don’t give her the attention she wants and will cling to anything that’s not sharp.” He then took Asta's other hand and placed it on top of Hollo’s head, who grinned and but then tried to bite at Asta’s hand. Asta tried to retract it, but Yuno firmly (but gently) placed it back on Hollo’s head, who grinned again but this time, gave him a thumbs-up, taking after Asta’s familiar gesture. “And this little sh- monster is Hollo. He’s obviously a biter, but he takes after you, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Asta! Asta! Don’t cry anymore, please,” said Aruru as she clung harder to him.

“Please!” said Hollo, who followed suit.

“Ru...llo...Aruru...Hollo…” Asta said, smiling. He patted the toddlers’ heads who giggled at the affection they were receiving.

Relieved, Father Orsi sighed, “Well I guess we don’t have to worry about those two. Would anyone else like to try?”

“How about you, child trafficker,” said none other than...Sister Lily. This made the entire room erupt in laughter. Even Aruru and Hollo joined in the fun, not understanding why everyone was laughing but happy that no one was crying anymore.

Father Orsi, acting like a four-year-old crossed his arms and pouted, storming out of the room, mumbling something about inconsiderate kids ganging up on him. Recovering from her laughter, Sister Lily prompted everyone to go for dinner, “Come on now, children. I’ve come up with another tato dish that I’m sure you’ll like.” Aruru and Hollo jumped up at the mention of food and hurried out the room while Nash and Recca casually padded out, with Nash mumbling something about the food being tatoes again but not minding it if Sister Lily cooked it. Yuno was about to tag along, standing up, only to have Asta tug him back down. He looked down at those pleading puppy-dog eyes sans the bottom lip part.

“Yuno,” Asta began as he hugged at the raven-haired boy’s waist, “stay.”

Face heating up at the gesture, Yuno pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look Asta, I promised you that I will never leave you ever again, but we’ve gotta eat something or else we’ll starve. Will you let me get us some food so we can eat in here or do you want to eat at the dinner table with everybody else?”

Asta pretended to ponder, putting his chin between his thumb and index finger. He already knew his answer since he didn’t want to be in the same room as the “child trafficker”, already worried with what he was doing with Aruru and Hollo, and he knew that Yuno getting food also meant Yuno leaving him alone. He shook his head and hugged Yuno’s waist tighter. “Stay.”

Yuno sighed. He was glad that Asta was finally clinging to him like he always dreamt he would but was just as worried since according to Father Orsi and Sister Lily, he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday when the two left for the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. He futilely tried again, “You’re not gonna let me go, are you, Asta?” His question was answered by Asta burying his head deeper into his chest. Yuno was annoyed but smiled at the wordless answer, stroking Asta’s hair to acknowledge the other’s answer. With that, Yuno was going to call for Sister Lily until she miraculously popped back into the room, a plate of her new tato dish with two empty cups stacked on top in one hand and a pitcher of water with the other. He thanked Sister Lily as she set them in front of Yuno, who pulled Asta closer to him with the arm that was stroking him. In all other circumstances, Yuno would’ve been satisfied with the course of his life right then and there, but he pushed the thought aside. With that, he and Asta enjoyed their bland, dry, flaky, yet nourishing meal prepared by the mother-figure. 

Surprisingly, that night, Asta returned to his normal attitude with Aruru and Hollo, going as far as letting them sleep again in the same room as Asta and Yuno (to Yuno’s silent disappointment). Although he acted more like a concerned mother, not wanting to leave the little angel and monster alone with a “child trafficker”, it was progress nonetheless, so no one was going to complain (except Father Orsi) how we went about remembering his foster-siblings.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_Early morning (before dawn), a couple of hours after Asta and Yuno at dinner_

Yuno was awakened to someone poking his cheek. Rubbing his cheek to check who’s finger it was, he shouldn’t have been surprised that it was Asta, eyebrows furrowed and frowning. Without any hesitation, Yuno turned on his side and touched Asta’s cheek gently (since there were still bruises present). “Something wrong, lo- Asta?” asked Yuno, who mentally rebuked himself for almost letting his feelings slip.

“Um...Yuno...um…” started Asta, leaning into the touch and fidgeting with his blanket.

_Some things never change_ , Yuno thought, rolling his eyes. “Just come out with it, Asta. Nothing will make me change the way I look at you.”

Moving closer to Yuno so he could whisper something, with the raven-haired boy turning his head so his ear was closer. “Um...touch me?”

Immediately, Yuno stopped caressing Asta’s cheek and started fidgeting with his blanket, face heating up and heart beating a little faster at the assertion. It really didn’t help that Asta was acting like his speech retarded to Hollo or Aruru’s age, which confused Yuno from the start because he just really didn’t understand why that would be the case. Sure, Asta was traumatized by what happened to him, who wouldn’t be? But to be severely traumatized to the point that he could barely speak a proper sentence (except for that time yesterday when he pleaded Yuno to never leave him ever again), it made Yuno’s blood boil to think that a single gruesome act could result in all of this. _Calm down, calm down, calm down, just ask him what he means and don’t fuck it up_ , Yuno told himself. Taking a deep breath, he stuttered, “W-What d-do y-you m-m-m-m-mean b-b-by t-that, Asta?” _Smooth, Yuno. Real smooth_ , he told himself, facepalming.

Not knowing why Yuno facepalmed, he grabbed that hand and placed it where it hurt. “Hurt. Yuno. Hurt.”

Yuno’s breath hitched, blush reaching an all-new level of red, and heart pounding, ready to pop out of his chest. Asta had just placed his hand on his hip, but his fingers were touching that firm but plump ass cheek. He was getting way too happy about this, indicated by the growing tent in his pants. _No. No. No. Stop it, Yuno! Get a hold of yourself. Asta’s hurting, probably from the fact that that bitch Revchi violated him without any preparation. He probably just wants you to massage it...yeah, just massage it, get him to fall asleep, then jack off when this is all over_ , Yuno thought, satisfied with his plan of action. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed the area that Asta had indicated, earning him a quiet moan. He continued the action, each time earning him more moans, each time making him harder. _Lord above in heaven, why must you punish me like-_

“Harder...Yuno...please,” groaned Asta. Yuno’s hands felt so good as he massaged the area. He didn’t want it to end, but it did, when Yuno got up abruptly. Asta whined and asked, “Yuno? Leave? Why?”

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Yuno answered tersely, wiping the blood dripping from his nose.

“Come. I come. Yuno?” Asta pleaded. He tried to get up but winced as pain shot up his body, forcing him to fall back down.

  
“No. You’re hurt right now. I’ll be just a second,” Yuno reassured him. He really was going to be just a second because he was so hard right now that it hurt. Pulling the hem of his pants to check the “damage” Asta had dealt on him, he noticed pre-cum oozing out of the head of his member. He groaned, face-palming, and rushed to the bathroom. _You can’t be serious. Stupid little shit, getting me all hard and shit, making me all horny and shit. When I make you mine, Asta, I’ll make sure to repay you tenfold for this, you little shit._ It took him one touch and one replay of Asta’s words to make himself come. Immediately, he cleaned himself up, including the...evidence...and made his way back to the room, where, unsurprisingly, Asta was sitting up, waiting for him. He smiled warmly at the sight and laid down into his spot on the floor mattress, with Asta snuggling up to him, face buried in Yuno’s chest. He could get used to this…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make the clue a little more obvious...
> 
> Again, if you figured it out. Congratulations! But keep it to yourself...


	8. Chapter 8

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ A couple of weeks since Asta’s incident, early afternoon  _ (Author: I don’t know why I keep choosing this time of day. Maybe it’s because this is when I write?)

“There you go, Asta,” Recca said as she held up his hair while he threw up (what used to be his lunch) into the toilet bowl. Recca rubbed his back with her free hand to soothe him while he vomited. 

Asta’s health had been improving ever since that bad man had raped him. Recca was quiet for a couple of days after that both because she was trying to understand the man’s motives and because she was jealous that Aruru, Hollo, and Sister Lily were able to get to Asta in such a short timeframe. She was even more jealous that Nash--Nash, the same person who always criticized Asta for absolutely no reason but to be mean--was able to get to him before she had. It was when Nash approached Asta, crying and asking him to know him and to come back that one day, that Recca knew that Nash just wasn’t good with feelings, so he criticized those he loved, which included Asta and everyone else in their foster-family. Luckily, Asta welcomed him back with open arms as they both cried with each other like they had not seen the other in forever. Honestly, if you asked her, Nash was probably the biggest crybaby of them all with Father Orsi a close second; it used to be Big Bro Yuno, but that changed ever since Asta and he became rivals. She still remembered that night, taking a peek into the bedroom that was now just missing her in the incomplete puzzle: Yuno was facing away from everyone else, in the same position he assumed as a kid whenever he never got to snuggle with Asta; Asta was cuddling with Nash, who was clinging onto the grey-haired boy as if letting go meant that he would disappear; and Aruru was doing the same thing with Hollo, which wasn’t a surprise since Hollo copied everyone’s mannerisms. Since then, she resolved herself to getting Asta to know her again, doing anything and everything, from dancing to singing to cooking for him. Ultimately, the simple solution was just to be her lazy, always-bored self, which frustrated her, but she didn’t care as long as she got Asta to recognize her again. Where was Father Orsi in all of this? Well, when he wasn’t doing his daily errands, he was hiding behind one of the pews, crying like a little kid; basically, he was just a lost cause...for now.

Unfortunately, this leads the story back to the present as Asta continued vomiting his lunch. Aside from the vomiting, a lot of weird things had befallen her foster-brother. He was more tired than usual, unwilling to leave the room certain days because of his extreme fatigue. Whenever he did leave the room on those days, it was just to pee, which was way too frequent to be considered normal. Everytime he ate, he vomited it back out hours later. What was weird though among all of these things were two things: Asta sometimes woke up to a bloody nightgown and his lower back always hurt. Recca couldn’t explain either, especially since, according to Father Orsi, who had treated a similar injury back when he had just started as a priest, most of his pain should have subsided by now because he and Sister Lily were constantly healing him with their magic. This made everyone concerned, but Recca became suspicious as she kept thinking about it and she and Nash were brainstorming any possible explanations for such oddities. Nash came up with the wild idea that Asta must’ve been pregnant or something, which he and Recca quickly brushed off. That was until the two had overheard a private conversation between Father Orsi and Sister Lily where Nash’s otherworldly idea seemed like the most reasonable explanation; that day, they overheard the two discussing Asta, Yuno, and the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, which were only a couple months away but the word that stuck out the most was “pregnant.” As the two foster-siblings were drawn into the adults’ conversation, they also overheard that they would call for a Magic Knight healer to check Asta out and either confirm or deny their suspicions.

As Recca helped Asta clean up and get back to the bedroom to rest, the front door was suddenly kicked open to reveal an unknown woman.

“I just had that fixed!” exclaimed Father Orsi, who came rushing in with his grimoire out, ready for a fight.

“I’ll pay for it!” shouted the mysterious woman. She scanned the room to find the boy that met the description she was provided in her mission briefing. Once she had found Asta, she gave him a warm smile, but turned her attention to Father Orsi and Sister Lily, who both had their grimoires out but appeared to be standing down. “You must be Father Orsi and Sister Lily. Nice to meet you. I can’t disclose my name since I’m technically not supposed to be here, but I’ll let you know one thing: the Wizard King sent me here personally.”

Relaxing at the introduction, the two adults of the orphanage church put away their grimoires. Father Orsi was the first to speak, “Forgive me, Madame. It’s only been a couple of weeks since the incident, so we’re still a bit on edge. I hope you can understand. Thank you for coming out so quickly.”

Nodding, she crossed her arms and said, “I completely understand. Anyone would be on edge with something like that. Anyways, can I talk to you and Sister Lily privately before I check up on the kid? I need as much information as I need to make the proper diagnosis.”

The two adults nodded at that. Then, Sister Lily turned to a gawking Recca and Asta, giving them a warm smile. “Recca, could you bring Asta to your guys’ bedroom? We just have to talk with this nice lady about private matters.”

Without much hesitation, Recca nodded and helped Asta into their room, where he and she played with Aruru and Hollo (or rather, Asta sat on the floor mattress as the toddlers ran around and about). This passed for a few hours until Asta started screaming out of nowhere. Asking what was wrong, Recca noticed the puddle of blood that was pooling around Asta, who began trembling and crying at the sight. “Hang on, Asta. I’ll get the lady,” said Recca. With that, she hurried out of the bedroom to the dinner table where Father Orsi, Sister Lily, the nice healer-lady, and Yuno were engaged in a deep discussion--deep enough to not hear Asta scream.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ A couple of hours since the Magic Knight healer’s arrival, but before Asta started bleeding _

Yuno was called up by Nash while he was training. The brunette told him a Magic Knight had just arrived at the orphanage church. Thinking it was Revchi, Yuno dropped the logs he was splitting with his wind magic and made a run for the church, mind going a-mile-a-minute. One could say that at times like these, Yuno was expecting the worst case-scenarios. But what he wasn’t expecting was a broken front door and three adults--Father Orsi, Sister Lily, and a mystery lady--discussing something serious at the dinner table or at least, Yuno assumed it was serious since he saw Father Orsi and Sister Lily wearing a grim expression on their faces. He caught the attention of the two as he cautiously approached the dinner table when the mysterious woman turned around and introduced herself in the same way she had with Father Orsi and Sister Lily. 

“You must be Yuno. Hi, I can’t disclose my name since I’m technically not supposed to be here, but I’ll let you know that I mean no harm. I’m a Magic Knight healer who was personally sent by the Wizard King himself to check up on Asta,” said the lady.

“Huh?” was all Yuno could say. He was so confused. He had thought that he was going to walk in to a bloody orphanage with everyone dead and Revchi raping Asta again. But this was just the complete opposite, which made him even more confused. When did Father Orsi and Sister Lily call for a Magic Knight healer? More importantly, why did they call for a healer? Weren’t they perfectly capable of healing Asta? Or were they hiding something from him? Wanting answers to his questions, he took a seat at the dinner table and eyed everyone there, keeping his gaze on the lady’s, patiently waiting for an explanation.

“I see you’re one who wants to get down to business right away. I don’t blame you, kid,” stated the unnamed Magic Knight. “So where do we begin?” she wondered, tapping her chin, “Ah. Let’s start with why I’m here.” With that, she turned to Father Orsi and Sister Lily, asking them to explain themselves, which answered some of Yuno’s questions. 

Unfortunately, once they finished, having caught up to the present, Yuno was left with more questions than he had started with, which wasn’t a first. Still, he decided to ask the most important one. “So...you think Asta’s pregnant?” he asked bluntly.

“No. I know he’s pregnant,” said the woman curtly.

“But...how? Asta’s a guy. I know he’s a guy,” Yuno asked, baffled by the woman’s matter-of-fact tone.

“Everyone here knows he’s a guy. But the telltale symptoms your Father Orsi and Sister Lily listed point in only one diagnosis--he’s a guy that’s pregnant,” affirmed the Magic Knight healer.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait ,wait, wait...So you’re telling me that guys can get pregnant, too--that everything Father Orsi and Sister Lily told me was a lie?” asked Yuno in a higher pitch than usual, waving his hands frantically in front of him.

“Well, kid. Yes and no. No, they didn’t lie to you--only women can get pregnant in this world. But yes, guys, on extremely rare occasions, can also get pregnant,” said the mystery woman. Noticing that Yuno’s eyes were twitching, indicating that his brain was frying as they spoke, the mystery woman sighed, crossed her arms, and put one leg over the other. “Let me explain. This’ll be new information for everyone here, so just sit back and ask questions once I’m done. Apart from being a Magic Knight healer, my rank as Grand Magic Knight has me going on covert missions as a spy for the Clover Kingdom. One of these missions involved a private investigation on what happened to the Spade Kingdom’s former ruling family, the House Grinberryall. I’ll save you all the other details that don’t pertain to Asta since I’d have to kill you all if I disclose anything else. The ruling king before the coup d’état was Edmund Grinberryall, who, according to those that I had spoken with, was loved and adored by everyone in the kingdom. He didn’t marry anyone, and no one knew why since he had men and women lining up at his doorstep, asking for his hand. It was when I found out from some careful research in the kings’ private library that the powerful king was born with a rare illness--one where he was able to become pregnant like any other woman. Furthermore, I discovered that he had been having a secret affair with an unknown royal male, becoming pregnant because of it. He used his magic to conceal his growing stomach and trample any doubts thrown at him, but he had to give birth eventually. When he did, he gave birth to two boys--fraternal twins that, apparently, looked nothing alike--just seconds apart, which I can guess hurt like a bitch--pardon my language. At this point, he knew that his younger brother, Abaddon, would execute the coup, having found out that he was greatly weakened by the pregnancy; he also aimed to eliminate King Edmund’s heirs to make him the rightful ruler by ascension law. So, he ordered a loyal servant to run away with the two newborns to anywhere as long as it wasn’t the Spade Kingdom. To this day, no one knows for sure where they ended up...until I also found a death certificate for one of the newborns that was submitted by the same loyal servant, who ‘disappeared’ shortly after, never to be seen again. Unfortunately, the mother hadn’t yet decided on a name, so I don’t know the dead infant’s identity. But one thing is for sure: the other twin survived and knowing Abaddon’s desire for absolute power, he’s searching right now for that child as we speak. I just hope that wherever that kid is, he’s safe and sound because he’s one very powerful individual as a child of two royals. His brother would have been too, had he not met his untimely demise--God bless his soul.” 

She paused, realizing everything she had disclosed, “Oh would you look at that, I’ve gone off on a tangent,” she sighed and cracked her knuckles, “I guess I’ll just have to kill you all now.” This made everyone at the dinner table stiffen until she laughed loudly, “Just kidding! Just kidding! I wouldn’t actually kill or hurt any of you because after all, I’m a mother of three, and I’m sure those three hooligans wouldn’t survive with their mother in jail for second-degree murder.” This made everyone else relax a bit but still uneasy, worried by how the Magic Knight healer had just casually switched from storyteller to would-be-murderer to concerned mother of three.

Father Orsi was the first one to speak, since Yuno was still trying to process something. “So, Madame, how does this pertain to Asta?”

“Asta? Oh, yes, the boy! Ahh, sorry about that, I forgot about him!” she said, making everyone at the table sweat-drop. “I’ve made it official and given a name to this rare condition that the former Spade king had as ‘Edmund’s syndrome’, which I suspect is the same condition that afflicts Asta.”

“So, how does this affect Asta?” asked Sister Lily kindly.

“Well it’s simple: he can get pregnant. In addition, during sexual intercourse, he can produce the same lubricant that women can when they are aroused. Also, he can produce colostrum and breastmilk, meaning that he can breastfeed his children like any other mother,” stated the mystery woman. She added, “Unfortunately…”

“Unfortunately..?” asked the three members of the foster-family in unison, leaning closer to the lady.

“According to King Edmund’s records, this type of pregnancy relies heavily on mana from the mother, even more so than a female’s pregnancy. However, I didn’t sense a single ounce of mana from that boy,” said the woman.

“Well that’s impossible,” Yuno snorted. “Asta’s got tons of mana. He’s a dual-affinity mage to light and sword magic after all.” The other two adults nodded in agreement.

“Hate to break it to you, kid, but your best friend has zero mana--he’s magicless,” said the woman.

Before Yuno could argue back, Father Orsi jumped in and asked, “If it is the case that Asta is magicless, then what does this mean about the baby?”

“Basically, the baby doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to develop, so it dies. In other words, the mother miscarries,” she answered. This made the whole room go silent as everyone ruminated on how they were going to break the news to an already-traumatized Asta, let alone ask him where the hell his mana went. Suddenly, Recca bursted into the room, tears streaming down her cheeks. Everyone turned to her in concern, waiting for clarification on her sudden appearance.

In shaky breaths, she said quietly, “Father Orsi...Sister Lily...Big Bro Yuno...Asta--he’s b-b-bleeding.”

Everyone stood up at the sound of Asta’s name, knocking the chairs they were sitting in down to the floor with a loud thud. Healer’s aptitude kicking in, the mystery woman said, “Father Orsi, Yuno, please have any people occupying Asta’s bedroom vacate it. I’m going to have to examine him. Sister Lily, please come with me--I’ll need an extra pair of hands if anything happens.” With that, everyone dispersed except for Yuno who tugged on the mystery woman’s elbow.

“Wait...let me go with you,” Yuno said, trying to steady his quavering form.

The Magic Knight healer knew how close the two were, according to Father Orsi and Sister Lily. But that was exactly why she had to say what she said, “Are you the father?” With that, Yuno let go, silence giving away his answer, and she made her way to Asta’s bedroom.

When Yuno was the only one left at the dinner table, he stood there, unmoved from the position he was in before everyone else had left. He was worried for Asta, of course, but what was bothering him the most was the fact that he hadn’t noticed that he, too, did not sense Asta’s mana at all now that he thought about it. Had Revchi traumatized him so much that Asta’s mana was just drained? Was that even possible? According to Sister Lily, mana was the lifeforce that coursed through the user’s body, so if Asta didn’t have any mana, then shouldn’t he have been dead? Could Yuno have done anything for the child or the mother to lessen the blow or even prevent it perhaps? Yuno pulled at his already-messy black hair in frustration, once again unable to find an explanation to Asta’s afflictions.

(Author: I’m sure you know what’s going to happen. This area is very...personal to me, so I’ll just keep it tame--for my sake. I apologize for being selfish and having possibly ruined your reading experience.)

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church, Nighttime _

_ After Asta’s miscarriage _

Yuno couldn’t take it anymore. He was seated against the wall right outside the orphans’ bedroom, clutching his knees to his chest and rocking himself to calm down. He wished he could be there. It had been what felt like hours to him since the mystery woman and Sister Lily stepped into that room. All he and everyone else that was huddled by the door could hear was crying and screaming. Yuno was reduced to the state of worthlessness he was in right now, leaving Recca to console Nash and Father Orsi to the toddlers. Just then, the door to the room opened, drawing everyone’s attention. It was bad. Really bad. A disheartened expression was written all over the two women’s faces as they stepped out. The mystery woman was holding a bloody cloth, keeping it tight to her to hide whatever it was from the onlookers. “I’ll have to get going now. I’m so sorry, Yuno, Father Orsi. We did the best that we could to make it as painless as possible.” With that, the lady left the foster family, holding the red cloth that was hiding something that probably only she and Sister Lily had seen. Meanwhile, Sister Lily was just bawling her eyes out, so Yuno stood up and hugged her, trying to channel his inner-Asta. She clutched onto his shirt as she wailed.

“Oh Yuno...oh Yuno...I’m so sorry, Yuno...I’m so sorry, everyone,” she said between sobs.

“What happened Sister Lily?” asked Father Orsi, who was holding onto the sleeping toddlers, thankful that they had fallen asleep so they didn’t have to witness whatever was about to be explained. Even he didn’t want to know what had happened in that room--though he probably already knew, but he didn’t want to believe it nonetheless because his foster-son had been through more than enough already.

Willing herself to maintain her composure, she took in a shaky breath. Clutching Yuno a little tighter, she said, “A-Asta was p-pregnant...E-Everything t-the lady said w-was true…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the last part, so she just cried harder onto Yuno’s shoulder, who rubbed her back in return.

_ Asta was pregnant. Everything the lady said was true _ . These words repeated in Yuno’s head for minutes as he held onto Sister Lily. He bit his lip to stop himself from crying.  _ No. Calm down, Yuno. Your Asta needs you right now _ , he told himself. He knew Asta just had a miscarriage, so this was no time to give him any pity; he needed comfort more than anything else. Pulling Sister Lily back so that he was holding on to her shoulders, he looked into those grief-stricken eyes and whispered, “What can I do to help?”

Seeing the hurt but determination in Yuno’s eyes, she wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. _Ok, Lily Aqaria, you had better calm down. You need to stay strong for Asta. He’s been through way worse than you have, and he’s younger than you for Christ’s sake! Get a hold of yourself and give Yuno some advice like the mother-figure you should_ , she thought, trying to impel herself to say something. In a calm, firm tone, as if she had not been mourning the death of a child just moments ago, she asked, “Do you remember that tune I used to hum for Hollo whenever he wouldn’t stop crying?” Yuno nodded, a little confused. She continued, “Well that was a tune that less-affluent noble families, like mine, used to hum to their children whenever they had nightmares. I think it could work on Asta, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough...You could also try putting him into the position that my mother would put me in as she tried to lull me back to sleep.”

Yuno blushed at the thought of having to make any more intimate contact with Asta. Ever since the fateful night when Asta had asked him to massage his sore hips, he had to have Nash or Recca do it because he couldn’t bear to have another “incident”.

Seeing Yuno blush, she only assumed that the raven-haired boy was thinking dirty thoughts with his teenage mind. At least this completely snapped her from her sadness. She pinched Yuno’s arm, which startled him. She whispered in a chastising tone, “I didn’t mean that you horny teenage brat! Plus, I was six years-old for goodness sake!” This information made Yuno blush even harder, but this time because of embarrassment. Sighing, she said in normal-volume, “It was a simple but effective way of making my younger siblings go back to sleep. You just have them lay back on you, using your chest as a pillow, surrounding them with your legs. The best way I could describe the feeling is like being inside the womb--warm and protected from the outside environment. And before you ask me, no, I will not tell you how I know that. I will take that secret to my grave.” She did the sign of the Cross at the last part, not actually meaning it. She actually learned it from a noble doctor who specialized in complicated deliveries. Her magic was ideal for the job because it allowed her to manipulate the baby (or babies) in the mother’s womb by literally passing her hand through the mother’s body, able to will her hands or instruments to only touch/cut/move the body parts she desired. It was extremely complicated magic that required a lot of mana control. Sadly, the last time Sister Lily had heard of her, she had passed away--God bless her soul--having handed down most of healing magic knowledge to her grandson, Owen, if she remembered the name right. Anyhow, Sister Lily did not want to explain herself, especially with the current situation, which made it highly inappropriate and disrespectful to do so.

_ Head on their chest… _ Nash wondered. He blushed uncontrollably like his Big Brother Yuno when he had jokingly told him to marry Asta. He asked softly, “S-Sister Lily...can you do that with me? I get nightmares every night, but I think I’ve got them really bad, so I might have to face you instead when-”

“PERVERT!” yelled Recca, who smacked him hard enough to knock him out. Even when he was knocked out, she was still shaking her fist at his unconscious form, reminding him about respect and Sister Lily being a woman of the cloth.

Ignoring the other two, Father Orsi spoke, “Look, Yuno, my boy, I understand you’re concerned with Asta like everyone else, so why don’t you give Sister Lily’s advice a shot. But before you do, go to the kitchen and get some tatoes for yourself and Asta for dinner. I don’t want either of you missing out on another day, especially since you’re going to be participating in the Magic Knights’ exam.”

_ Why did he not mention Asta? _ Yuno wondered. He pushed the thought aside, reminding himself to address that issue when the time comes. He nodded at Father Orsi in agreement and thanked Sister Lily for the advice, giving her a tight hug and kiss to the cheek for being such an awesome mother-figure. With that, he did as he was told and went to the kitchen to grab some plain baked tatoes, Asta’s favorite for some reason, two empty cups, and a pitcher of water. Having what he needed, he bid his foster-family, who were eating at the dinner table, good night and headed for the bedroom.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ Orphans’ Room _

_ After Yuno gets his and Asta’s dinner _

As Yuno entered the bedroom, he was met by a small figure curled up, hugging its knees to its chest, back facing Yuno. Yuno took a deep breath and walked over. Looking around to see if anything had changed, he noticed a bowl filled by what looked like blood, most likely from the operation. He sighed and said as softly as he could, “Hey Asta. I got us some food. We should eat it now before it gets cold.” No answer. “It’s your favorite--plain baked tatoes.” Still no answer. “Asta, are you ok?” Yuno mentally facepalmed himself for being so inconsiderate.  _ Of course he’s not ok you idiot _ . Just when he was about to rephrase his question, he heard Asta crying faintly. Yuno kneeled, setting the food and water to the side, and got closer to Asta. That’s when he noticed that Asta was trembling, but not like how he used to; he was trembling to the point where it looked like he was convulsing. Worried now, Yuno took Asta’s arm and shook it. “Asta, are you ok?” he asked again. Really, he didn’t know what else to say. Still no answer, but Asta did shake off Yuno’s arm, pulling his arm to his chest, which gave Yuno some relief since he knew that Asta wasn’t having some seizure. He tried again but again to no avail. Yuno wanted to help him so badly, but he really didn’t know what to do. Pulling his hair in frustration, he finally remembered what Sister Lily had told him about the tune and position her mom had used to put her in. Deciding it was worth a shot, he did just that. He took Asta by the shoulder and slid his left leg around the other side of Asta’s trembling frame as he pulled him close to him. It was a pain because Asta kept fighting back, but Yuno didn’t budge. He began to hum the tune that Sister Lily had done for Hollo some years back. Just when he thought that what Sister Lily had said was utterly useless, Asta stopped fighting. Continuing the humming, but this time adding his hand to stroke his hair, Asta finally placed his head back on Yuno’s chest. As the tremors gradually faded away, Yuno whispered, “Asta, are you okay?” He sat there, waiting for an answer. Yuno knew that Asta could speak in complete, coherent sentences now. It had just taken him a little bit with the trauma, but he eventually pulled through.

“It hurts, Yuno. It hurts so much,” Asta whimpered as he cried his shattered heart out, releasing all the pain and sorrow he kept bottled up ever since he had realized what had been done to him thanks to his memories, which he wished he could repress so that the pain would go away.

Yuno just hugged Asta’s waist tighter as the smaller boy cried, occasionally shushing him. Once Asta’s wails died down a bit to sobs, Yuno whispered, “I know it hurts, Asta. I can’t even begin to fathom how much it must hurt. But it’s all over now. No one’s ever gonna do that to you ever again--not on my watch. You’ll never have to go through that ever again.”

“Why do you do it, Yuno? Why do you stay with me?” asked Asta.

“Because as your brother, I promised that I would never leave you ever again,” Yuno said almost immediately.

“No...you’re lying. Not about the promise but about your reason for the promise,” Asta said bluntly, snuggling up closer and closing his eyes.

Yuno was glad Asta couldn’t see him. His mouth was wide open, blush reaching all the way down his neck. Had he just been caught red-handed? Did Asta know the feelings Yuno had been harboring for him since they were kids? When did he find out? How did he find out? Did someone tell him? No, that wasn’t possible because Yuno confided in no one, not even Father Orsi during confessions. While he pondered this, he noticed that Asta’s breathing was getting even, telling Yuno at least that he had finally fallen asleep. Relaxing a bit, he whispered as quietly as he could, “Because I love you, Asta. I love you so fucking much. I’ve loved you ever since the moment you saved me from that drunkard. I love you so much that it hurts.” With that, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep (sitting up? How does that work?), unaware that Asta was still wide awake but had evened out his breathing to trick his foster-brother into confessing. 

Asta wasn’t surprised. He had suspected it from the start. He even tried to taunt him into admitting it by “accidentally” wiping his swass with his training rag that one time. Though he was a little pissed that his foster-brother was being a hypocrite about coming clean when, clearly, he himself couldn’t, Asta could understand why, especially with what just happened to him a couple of weeks ago. It hurt Asta that he couldn’t return the feelings, at least not right now because to him, Yuno was just his foster-sibling, like Nash, Recca, and the toddlers. The words that Mr. Salik still lingered in his head and was the subject of his nightmares. Asta just wasn’t ready to love anyone right now. Not even the platonic and/or familial love that his foster-family had endlessly showered him with could be returned with the same feelings--though he still couldn’t believe that his foster-family trusted a “child trafficker” like Father Orsi. In fact, how did a “child trafficker” become a priest? Was that even possible? Asta pushed the thoughts aside, saving them for the next day. He stayed in Yuno’s embrace, letting sleep take over his mentally-, physically-, emotionally-, psychologically-, and spiritually-exhausted body.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the short chapter.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_ Forsaken Village _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ A couple of months since Asta’s miscarriage, late morning  _ (Author: Ha!)

“ **Wind Magic: Towering Tornado** !” exclaimed Yuno. With that, a gigantic column of air formed in front of him to tear the large stone target into pebbles. Once the wind died down, Yuno felt the sweat drip from his forehead. It had been only a couple of hours since he had started training today but knowing that Asta was watching him, he had to impress. Not because he was trying to woo him but because he still saw Asta as his rival, despite everything that happened--that would never change. As if on cue, Asta cheered for him, ruining his concentration but in a good way.

“Wow, Yuno! That was freaking awesome! With the...and how you did the...and whoosh!” Asta said, flailing his hands to try to imitate the wind magic and its user. This got the raven-haired boy to chuckle, probably because he found his gesticulations so ridiculous.  _ Now’s my chance _ , he thought. He started, “So...Yuno...that Magic Kni-”

“No,” Yuno said tersely, putting his hand on his hip and scowling at the grey-haired boy that was sitting cross-legged across from him.

“But you don’t even-” Asta tried to reply.

“Not a chance,” Yuno said, cutting him off again. Sighing, he decided to take this as a chance to rest since lunch was about to be served.

Asta opened his mouth to defend himself, only to close it. He didn’t know how to answer back with Yuno’s mood souring so quickly. It was getting on his nerves. Ever since he had his miscarriage, Yuno began acting like some overbearing parent, not wanting to let Asta do a thing except the daily chores he had to beg Sister Lily and Father Orsi to let him do because the orphanage church was starting to feel cramped. Asta felt like he was on unofficial house-arrest. That was another thing--he finally realized that Father Orsi wasn’t a “child trafficker” after one morning when he saw the old man praying (and crying) on his knees at the altar for any form of guidance that would help him win back his foster-son’s heart. It was so touching that something clicked in his head. One thing led to another, and, suddenly, he found himself crying into Father Orsi’s back after he had snuck up on the praying figure, asking for his forgiveness for accusing him for being something he was clearly not.

Back to Yuno though, Asta was perplexed at how his mood completely changed after that night when he had poured his heart out, crying so much that his eyes ached the next morning. It took Asta a month of pleading to let him train with him again. He even had to break out those puppy-dog eyes that he thought for sure would have broken his foster-brother’s unwavering resolve in an instant. It took him another couple of weeks to let him do more than twenty push-ups/sit-ups/pull-ups and the other exercises in their old regimen. It wasn’t like Asta didn’t know that he could easily do those things under Yuno’s watchful eye--any person with pent-up energy would. In reality, Asta didn’t want to do them because he was scared that it would make Yuno so mad that he would leave him again, despite the other boy’s promise. It was irrational--any logical person would think so--but Asta just couldn’t handle it with his still-shattered heart. He crossed his arms, looking away from Yuno, and pouted. He grumbled, “It’s not like it’s my fault that I don’t know where all my mana went.”

“You’re right…” Yuno said. Asta was right--no one knew how that happened. Even as they held this conversation, only a couple of centimeters apart, he sensed no mana in the grey-haired boy, and that was saying something because, according to the Magic Knight healer that Yuno had been able to ask before she took off on her broom that one night, Yuno’s wind affinity is by far one of the top mana-sensing affinities of all the elemental magic affinities. Asta’s dual-magic affinity didn’t count since it wasn’t one of the basic elements. Also, no one wanted to pry into the matter because that would mean having to discuss what had happened to Asta, which was still fresh in everyone’s mind even after all this time. Glancing at his boots, he asked, “Why do you even want to go, Asta?”

_ Bingo _ , Asta thought. He finally got Yuno to ask him the right words that would allow for the response he had been preparing to leave Yuno with no choice. He smirked to himself. He really was a conniving little brat sometimes. Putting the scene he had practiced over and over with himself in the bathroom to the test, he started to weep quietly, which were genuine tears because he used the thought of Yuno leaving him as his motivator. This made the other boy turn his head, a look of concern written on his face.

“Is something wrong, Asta? Why won’t you answer me?” Yuno asked softly. As he said this, the shorter boy looked up at him with those puppy-dog eyes that had tears in them, bottom lip quivering. Yuno broke.

“I don’t want you to leave me here, Yuno,” Asta said quietly. Really, he didn’t. The practice was one thing because he didn’t have Yuno’s face to look at, but the real thing was completely different. Asta had more words planned, but he let his emotions take the better of him. He really didn’t want Yuno to leave him.

“Oh, Asta..!” Yuno said as he pulled him into a hug and then removed himself to clasp Asta’s shoulders with his hands. He wiped the falling tears with his thumb. “I’ll talk to Father Orsi and Sister Lily about this after lunch, but I can’t promise anything since I’m supposed to leave for the Royal Capital tomorrow. Just please stop crying.”

Sniffling a little bit, Asta wiped his face with the forearm of his white nightgown. Sister Lily was still stitching his old clothes since they were tattered up so badly, from the “incident” and from Asta’s years of training, his growing muscles ripping at the cheap fabric. He smiled warmly at Yuno and hugged him back. “That’s more than enough. Thank you, Yuno.” With that, the two left to go back inside the orphanage church to have lunch. 

Lunch went well, as usual nowadays ever since Asta finally accepted everyone in his foster-family back into his life. They finally got to enjoy their meals as one big family again. After lunch, Asta went to go play with the kids outside while Yuno stayed behind to discuss the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam and Asta with Father Orsi and Sister Lily.

Once he knew everyone had left to go outside, Yuno took a deep breath, earning curious glances from the two adults that were at the dinner table. There was no point in beating around the bush since they’d have to pack right away if, somehow, he got both adults to agree to what he had planned. Yuno got to the point and stated bluntly, “I want to bring Asta with me to the Royal Capital.” This had Father Orsi choke on the food he was eating, prompting Sister Lily to help.

Clearing his throat, Father Orsi said, “Yuno, you know how we feel about Asta going anywhere but the church’s premises.” Father Orsi knew that this was coming. He had overheard Asta one day in the bathroom, talking to himself. Being the overly protective foster-father that he was, especially to Asta, he couldn’t help but listen, touching his ear to the bathroom door. Father Orsi was stunned by the words that came out of Asta’s mouth on the other side of the door but before he could do anything else, he heard the doorknob turn, so he busied himself again with sweeping the floor so as not to create any suspicions.

“Hear me out, Father Orsi. I’ve got a plan. I want Asta to take the Magic Kni-” Yuno started, only to be interrupted by Sister Lily.

“Absolutely not!” she shouted. “I will not have Asta harm himself again--under any circumstances.”

Yuno pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know that’s how everyone feels. But please, Sister Lily, let me finish before you make a comment,” Yuno implored. This was able to calm her down, apologizing for her outburst. Pausing briefly to observe whether anyone was around, he continued, “I want Asta to take the Magic Knights Entrance Exam with me. Don’t worry, I’ll have him by my side the rest of the time. Anyways, the reason I want him to take it is because of his mana--or lack thereof. He’s obviously going to fail but knowing him, he’ll be too afraid to go back home on his own, if I pass the test, of course. Whatever happens, I’ll beg anyone, even the Wizard King himself, to let them take in Asta as well, but as some sort of assistant or anything that will keep him under close guard so that no one can lay a finger on him. I know you two will still be apprehensive about letting Asta be guarded by Magic Knights since his ‘incident’ occurred with one of them, but I’d like to remind you both that he’s an ex-Magic Knight, so I trust that no one else will act like him. It’s a longshot, I know, but I just feel that Revchi was an exception to the many honorable Magic Knights.”

Sister Lily was the first to speak. “What about you and Asta’s rivalry.”

Yuno had to pause for a minute, taken aback by the fact. Were he and Asta still rivals? How can anyone be Wizard King without any magic? No, that would be unthinkable. Mind made up, he said, “Our rivalry was over the moment he lost his magic. No one can compete with me for the title of Wizard King if they don’t even have a single ounce of mana.” This shocked the two adults since this was so unbecoming of Yuno. Yuno was the one that believed in Asta more than anyone else in the village. But to say something like that so bluntly and looking as if he meant every word he said...it was almost as if the raven-haired boy that wanted to support Asta’s dream of becoming the Wizard King had just given up on him.

The room was silent for a good minute until Father Orsi spoke up, “Very well, Yuno. If you believe that your plan will work, then we’ll let Asta go with you. Sister Lily, do you have any objections with this?”

The nun shook her head and smiled at Yuno. “I know you’ll always do what’s best for you two, so I support your decision one-hundred percent.”

With their approval, Yuno thanked them, giving each adult a hug and Sister Lily a kiss for being an awesome mother-figure. He headed out to where the kids were playing to tell Asta.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ Early afternoon, after Father Orsi and Sister Lily’s approval _

“Spin us again! Spin us again!” said the toddlers as they hung on to Asta’s biceps. The foster-siblings had just played a rousing game of tag around the orphanage church. Nash was tired from running, having given up after the first ten minutes, unable to keep up with Asta and the toddlers. He was laying on the grass next to Recca as they stared at the clouds. Without taking his eyes off the sky, Nash asked, “Do you think Asta can still become a Magic Knight?” He knew his foster-sister understood what he meant by that question. He and Recca had overheard the conversation Yuno and the adults had had about taking Asta to the Royal Capital to fail the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam. Nash was about to head out when he was pulled by an invisible hand that covered his mouth to stifle his scream. It was Recca using a magic item she had found in a ditch one day while she went out for a stroll around town. The magic item vendor who had seen her with it the same day, wanting to buy it off her, said that it could make anyone that held the activated item completely invisible, cloaking their mana entirely. Nash and Recca had used it on each other to pull pranks around the orphanage church, but never to spy in on a conversation...that was until a couple of minutes ago.

“I don’t know...Big Bro Yuno seemed really serious with what he said,” Recca answered.

“So what, you’re just gonna give up on Asta’s dream, too!?” asked Nash, sitting up now and scowling at the redhead.

“I never said that...it’s just that Big Bro Yuno is a really logical person, so if he says something is not gonna work out, then it most likely won’t work out,” Recca replied.

“I can’t believe you, Recca. Why won’t you just believe that Asta can do the unthinkable and still become Wizard King without magic?” Nash asked, sounding desperate.

Recca turned to look at Nash, who looked like he was ready to fight her. She smirked and said, “Seems like someone really likes Asta…”

“Pfft. As if…” Nash said, crossing his arms and looking away from Recca. It was hard to admit since Nash wasn’t really good with feelings, but he really cared about Asta. Not like how Yuno cared for Asta, but more like how he looked up to Asta as his idol. But he wouldn’t admit to anyone.

Before Recca could continue, he heard her Big Bro Yuno call Asta. Asta put down the toddlers and jogged over to him, earning him a groan from Yuno who pleaded that he not overexert himself.  _ Honestly, he’s worse than Father Orsi and Sister Lily combined _ , thought Nash and Recca. They saw Yuno place his hand on Asta’s shoulder but didn’t hear what he was saying. Nevertheless, they could definitely guess what it was with Asta’s face lighting up. He ran into the orphanage church with Yuno shouting at him, again, to not run. “He definitely did not tell him the other part,” whispered the two in unison. They looked at each other, surprised that they were thinking the same thing, and giggled.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ Night before Asta and Yuno’s departure _

Father Orsi went all out for his two foster-sons, filling the entire dinner table with a variety of tato dishes. He told everyone to eat as much as they wanted, crying, as he said that it was a celebration for Asta and Yuno, and he was so proud of the two. As everyone ate, Sister Lily asked, “What will you two do in the Royal Capital when you become Magic Knights?” She looked at Yuno more than Asta at the last part, hoping--no--knowing that what Yuno had said earlier would come true.

Before either could answer, Aruru blurted out, “Are you gonna get married, Asta?”

“Married!” exclaimed Hollo.

This made Asta smile and Yuno pause mid-bite but made Father Orsi choke on his food. Nash then spoke up, “If you do marry, can I be the best man?”

This made Asta laugh awkwardly, rubbing his nape, and Yuno’s eye twitch but made Father Orsi fall off his chair. Again, before either could answer, Recca blurted out, “What do you mean? Asta would clearly be the bride, so he needs a bridesmaid, like me.”

With that, Yuno squeezed the tato he was holding hard enough for the actual tato to burst out of its skin and lodge itself in Nash’s mouth, making him choke. Yuno stood up abruptly, smashing the skin onto his plate, and said, “I’m going outside for some air.”

Asta was just confused as Yuno slammed the front door. “What’s wrong with him?”

Sister Lily, having tended to a collapsed Father Orsi and a choking Nash, kindly replied, “Oh I’m sure it’s nothing. Go ahead and finish your food, everyone. And Asta, I’ll take care of Yuno so once you’re done, you can finish up packing.” With that said, everyone did as they were told while Sister Lily headed outside.

_ Forsaken Realm _

_ Hage Village - Orphanage Church _

_ After Sister Lily tends to her foster-family _

Yuno was sitting on the fence of their small front yard when he felt Sister Lily’s mana approach him. Sighing, without glancing back, he said, “I’m sorry for storming out like that, Sister Lily.”

She placed her hand on his back and rubbed it. “It’s alright, Yuno.” With that, they both stayed there silently until Sister Lily spoke up. “I know, Yuno.”

Yuno’s body stiffened at the affirmation. He asked, “What do you mean?”

“You know you can’t hide things from me, Yuno,” she said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” retorted Yuno almost at the same time as Sister Lily said her words.

“Fine. I won’t make you say it, so I’ll say it instead. Yuno, you’re in-love with Asta,” said Sister Lily matter-of-factly.

Yuno sighed at finally being caught. He should’ve known better than to think he could keep this a secret from Sister Lily. She had seen them both grow up together after all, so she was bound to find out regardless of how that would happen. “I don’t think he feels the same way…” Yuno knew that Asta always meant well but never for the reasons that he wanted him to.

“So?” Sister Lily asked curtly, which made Yuno turn around and stare at her in disbelief.

“So...what’s the point? If he doesn’t love me in the same way that I love him, then why..?” Yuno didn’t know how to finish it.

As if Sister Lily knew what he was thinking, she rebutted “Why what?”

Yuno sighed. “I don’t know.”

She smiled at him and hugged him. Not yet letting go, she said, “That’s okay, Yuno. It’s okay if he doesn’t love you the same way. Your stories don’t have to go about in the way you want them to. But that doesn’t mean you’ll have to stop loving him the way you do nor will he stop loving you as his brother. You hold a special place in his heart, Yuno. More special than any of us here. Also, I know you haven’t confessed to him yet, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on trying. Just know when to stop because if you don’t, you may end up hurting him instead. Unrequited love is a dangerous thing, so don’t do that to yourself.” Yuno didn’t answer her, he just hugged her more tightly. That night, the words lingered in his head:

_ That doesn’t mean you should give up on trying. Just know when to stop because if you don’t, you may end up hurting him instead. Unrequited love is a dangerous thing, so don’t do that to yourself...Give up on trying...stop...you may end up hurting him instead. Unrequited love...do that to yourself. Give up. Stop. You may end up hurting him instead. Unrequited love. Do that to yourself. _

His heart ached as those words kept repeating themselves:

_ Give up. Stop. You may end up hurting him instead. Unrequited love. Do that to yourself. _

Did he hear those words correctly? But if he gave up on Asta? Then who would he love in that way? Was there anyone he could love like he loved Asta?  _ Until then, I have to protect the ones I love. I have to protect Asta. I’ll love him even if he doesn’t love me back in the same way. I have to protect my foster-family. I have to protect the Clover Kingdom. I have to become the Wizard King _ , Yuno thought. With that, Yuno fell asleep with a new kind of resolve.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, another short chapter, so I thought it would only be fair to post back-to-back.
> 
> English isn't my first language, so I apologize for the limited vocabulary and/or occasional bland content. Anyways, let me know what you think of the story so far.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_Day of the Yuno and Asta’s departure, morning_

“Oh, Yuno! Please don’t go!” cried Father Orsi as he kept Yuno in a bone-crushing hug, tears soaking the shoulder of the raven-haired boy’s black long-sleeved shirt.

“Oh, Asta! Please don’t go!” cried Nash who had jumped onto Asta, making the two fall to the ground as Nash squeezed the air out of Asta’s lungs. Sister Lily was furious with Nash, having dirtied Asta’s just-sewn clothes, but she hid it behind her kind smile.

Both struggled to say, “C-Can’t...breathe.” This prompted the two crybabies of the foster-family to let go. Father Orsi patted Yuno down, and Nash helped Asta stand back up, dusting off the dirt on his trousers, accidentally smacking his ass in the process, which earned a blush from Yuno.

Asta, seeing Yuno blush from Nash’s action, decided to tease him for it. He smacked the raven-haired boy’s ass when he was looking away and laughed hysterically when he saw him stiffen up and blush from head-to-toe. “Alright, alright, enough with the shenanigans, you two. It’s time for you two to get going or else you might end up being late for the exam!” exclaimed Father Orsi. With that, the two turned to begin their trek to the Royal Capital, but before Yuno could continue, Father Orsi pulled him aside and whispered closely, “Yuno, take care of Asta when he fails. It’s going to be hard.” Yuno gave Father Orsi a nod to show him he understood and caught up to Asta.

The moment they stepped into the town square, everyone cheered them on. Yuno gave everyone a smile until he noticed that Asta was trembling and clutching onto his shirt, hiding behind him. Then, Yuno remembered that ever since the “incident”, no one had allowed Asta to go beyond the vicinity of the orphanage church, fearing the worst might happen to him. He mentally chided himself and wrapped his arm around Asta, who didn’t let go of his shirt, still trembling. Once they had made it out of the village, Asta relaxed a little bit, and let go of Yuno’s shirt but still clung to his arm. Finally alone, Yuno took this time to ask, “Hey, Asta. What was that back there? What made you so afraid?”

Asta tightened his hold on Yuno’s arm. With an unsteady breath, Asta said, “T-The guys...I was s-scared of the guys.”

Yuno brought him closer to him. He kissed Asta’s soft, grey hair before he knew what he was doing. “I won’t let any guys hurt you as long as I’m alive.” He stiffened and his cheeks reddened the moment he realized that he had just placed his first kiss on Asta.

Asta, not seeing Yuno’s reaction because he was looking around attentively, asked, “Promise?”

Mind wracked from what just happened seconds ago, Yuno stammered, “Y-Yeah.” With that, they continued onward. They had to stop at a crossroads because they couldn’t see the signposts. Asta, who was still magicless for some reason, tried to make out the words to at least be of some help. He and Yuno argued which way was the right away until Yuno came up with the bright idea to use his wind magic. Forming a small pocket of wind in his palm, he fired it in the direction of the signpost, knocking Asta back in the process, who tried to dodge it. Amused and wanting to get back at Asta for what he had done to him earlier at the village, Yuno didn’t bother checking if Asta was ok. He just said, “That way,” as he walked in the direction that the signpost pointed to the Royal Capital, glancing down at Asta and giving him a smug look.

“Asshole…” Asta grumbled as he picked himself up. He crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks.

As if knowing his reaction despite being ahead, Yuno smiled to himself and thought, _So fucking cute_.

The journey was difficult to say the least. The two had struggled maneuvering the foregin terrain, occasionally getting lost and having to ask for directions once they came across a village. Luckily, the two--mostly Yuno--had prepared for these instances, knowing where to go to ask and what to say. The two were also fortunate enough that whenever they did stray off course, they were only a couple of minutes behind schedule, making retracing their steps less burdensome. Despite all of this, it didn’t bother either of the two orphan brothers in the slightest since they had each other’s company and antics to distract them from the perilous journey. They always seemed to be able to find fun in the smallest of things--tripping the other’s foot when they weren’t looking, stuffing one of their tato rations into the other’s pants, or even just competing with the other to entertain their rivalry. It was a necessary skill to have when you grew up poor, but it was something Asta and Yuno had gotten good at thanks to fifteen years-worth of living in those conditions. Yes, as long as Asta was with Yuno and Yuno was with Asta, life seemed a little more bearable.

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Road to Royal Capital, Nighttime_

“Hey, Yuno?” Asta asked his foster-brother as he laid on top of Yuno’s arm. They had made camp for the night and after eating some fish that they had caught (well, that Yuno had caught), they decided to relax and gaze up at the stars. Their campsite was secluded so that no passerby would easily notice they were there but was still close enough to their route since they didn’t want to stray too far off course in unfamiliar territory.

“Hmm? What’s up?” Yuno asked in return, not taking his eyes off of the stars.

“What if we get separated?” Asta asked genuinely. He had been thinking about it since they first left the village when he heard the mayor say that they should try to get into the same squad. Asta didn’t know that there were squads at all. He had always been under the assumption that the Magic Knights were just one, large collective group that worked under the Wizard King’s command. He never stopped to think that there would exist a chain of command since in his village, there was just the village watch patrol consisting of volunteer men and women that had some combat magic; they just followed the mayor’s orders.

“What do you mean?” Yuno asked, turning to his side, removing his arm from under Asta’s head to rest his head in his hand.

Not taking his gaze off the starry night, Asta reached up and tried to grab one of those stars. He looked into his palm to see if he caught it then asked his question when he realized he hadn’t, “What if we don’t get into the same squad?”

Understanding what Asta meant, Yuno sighed and thought it through. He could come out to Asta about his actual intentions since they were far out enough that Asta would be forced to stay with him until they reached the Royal Capital. But he didn’t want to since that would risk losing his trust--something that, in reality, hasn’t made much progress despite Asta accepting, but not completely trusting, his foster-family except for Yuno. “That’s not gonna happen.”

“We should use some sort of thing that keeps us connected no matter where we are in this world,” Asta said. He thought up the idea when he saw one star that stood out in particular.

_Does he mean...a child? Does Asta want to fu- No. No. Not a chance_ , Yuno thought, killing his hopes once more. Still, he was curious about what made Asta say something like that. “What do you mean by that?”

“Do you see that one star that’s shining a little brighter than the rest?” asked Asta, pointing at said star in the sea of constellations.

Yuno looked up to where Asta was pointing, doubting that he could find the star Asta was pointing out. Soon enough, he had found it to his astonishment. “Yeah, what about it?”

“We should make that our star…” Asta said, turning to look up at Yuno. He saw him blushing thanks to the moonlight and the campfire that they were near lighting up their campsite. He was going to tease him about it, but then he noticed that Yuno wasn’t looking at the star anymore. 

Yuno looked at the blazing campfire, enthralled by the changing colors and the crackling sound it made. He was thinking about what Asta had just said. He wanted something that only the two of them could share? He wanted something so far out of this world that others would probably mock them for acting so childish. Even to Yuno, it was so childish...so sincere...so genuine…it was so...Asta-like. Yuno’s fascination with Asta’s sincerity was snatched by the same hand of the person he had been thinking about, waving it in front of his face. Yuno blinked when the hand stopped. “Huh?”

“So what do you think?” Asta asked, resting his forehead on Yuno’s chest.

Yuno began stroking Asta’s hair subconsciously. He tried to retrace the conversation he had had with the grey-haired boy a couple of minutes ago before he got lost in thoughts. Remembering now, Yuno smiled and looked back up at Asta’s--no--their star. “I like it. Let’s make that star ours.”

Asta smiled into Yuno’s chest and hugged him closer to show that he was delighted that his foster-brother liked the idea. With another question coming to mind, he lifted his head and looked up into those half-lidded amber-colored eyes that simultaneously met his eyes. He voiced his question, “Do you think I can really pass without my mana?”

Yuno averted his gaze for a millisecond before returning them onto those viridian-colored eyes. “Knowing you, of course you can,” he said, giving him a bittersweet smile. It hurt to have to lie to Asta. It hurt even more to have to hide the reasoning behind Father Orsi and Sister Lily’s authorization. _It’s to protect the person you love_ , he reminded himself.

Staring at those amber-colored eyes more intently, he saw a hint of...sadness? Asta didn’t want to press him on it, so he snuggled up closer to him and returned his forehead to Yuno’s chest. “Do you think it’ll come back?”

Rubbing his back, Yuno said, truthfully this time, “I don’t know, Asta. But I know that you won’t let it stop you.”

Asta snorted, “As if no magic could stop me from becoming the Wizard King, right?”

Yuno flinched at the assertion, remembering what he confidently said would be the result of the entrance exam. He closed his eyes and pulled Asta closer, evading his question. “Come on, we have to get some sleep. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” With that, the two fell soundly asleep in each other’s arms, eager for what the next day had in store for them.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, morning_

“Woah! Look at that, Yuno!” exclaimed Asta, amazed by a baby lion cub with white fur and red eyes. Asta ran over to the cub that was looking at him through the window. “Hi there little baby! It’s me, A-s-t-a,” he said as if he were speaking to a baby. The baby lion tilted its head to the side as if it were trying to understand him. The moment its ear flopped, Asta swooned from the cuteness-overload.

Yuno just watched in awe. He couldn’t believe Asta’s sudden change in mood. The moment he saw men walking around as they made their way to the Royal Capital (where they were now), Asta was trembling like a frightened deer, hanging on to Yuno’s waist for dear life. Then, the moment Asta saw the magical beast store, which was a little sketchy in Yuno’s opinion, Asta forgot all his troubles and bounded for the little furball that he was communicating with now. It’s not like Yuno minded; it was cute--too fucking cute, in fact, which was evident in the blood that was dripping from Yuno’s nose. He wiped it with one of his sleeves before he spoke up. “Asta, come on. We have to go, or else we'll be late for the exam. That beast can’t understand what you’re saying.”

“It’s not a beast, Yuno…” Asta said, not taking his eyes off the white bundle of fur. It started gently pawing at the glass at Asta. Asta touched his hand on the glass where it was pawing at.

_You’re gonna be the death of me_ , Yuno thought, rolling his eyes and wiping his nose once more. “Fine. That _albino_ can’t understand what you’re saying. Let’s go, Asta,” he huffed.

Wanting to tease Yuno a bit for ruining his moment, he talked back to the lion cub. “I have to go, baby. But I’ll come back for you. I promise! _Daddy_ Yuno’s just being a party-pooper, aren’t you?” The moment he said “daddy”, Yuno fainted, immediately drawing a small crowd around him. It didn’t last long, though, since Yuno was able to wake up as fast as he had fainted. Immediately, he stormed over to Asta, who was struggling to maintain his balance in his laughing fit, and grabbed him by the back of the shirt, dragging him to the coliseum that the guard had indicated to them earlier would be the testing site.

As they got closer, Asta’s stomach grumbled. Looking around as he was being dragged, he saw an elderly woman selling purple snakes on a stick. He didn’t find it appetizing, but his stomach said otherwise. He asked Yuno if he could get some food because he was hungry. Yuno just huffed and gave him some yuls to pay for a snack. Asta didn’t know if it was enough. _Oh well. Only one way to find out_ , he thought to himself as he made his way to the stall.

“Hello there, little boy. Would you like a purple snake on a stick?” asked the old woman. She noticed that the boy counted the yul in his palm; she could clearly see that he only had seven when the price clearly said ten. _Hmm, interesting. I sense no mana in this boy at all_ , thought the old woman who was actually Julius Novachrono in-disguise. “It’s seven yul for two sticks.”

“Huh? But your sign says ten,” Asta replied, pointing at the price that was written in black paint on a sandwich board.

“Oh don’t worry, boy. You’re taking the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, aren’t you? Consider it my token of gratitude for you coming out this far. At least, I assume it’s far since you and your friend over there look a bit worn out,” said Julius-but-not-Julius.

Asta was taken aback by the lady’s kindness because he had already heard whispers from the crowd, talking about him and Yuno and their clothes revealing that they were peasants. At that point, Asta just assumed everyone who wasn’t a peasant thought that way, but he guessed wrong apparently. Rubbing his nape and smiling genuinely, Asta said, “Oh, thank you so much, ma’am! You’re too kind!” With that, he handed the seven yul to the lady, who took it with her dainty, wrinkly hand. She then handed him the two sticks of purple snakes. As he was eating the purple snakes, which tasted like chicken and plastic, he asked mid-chew, “Who are you?”

The old lady was a bit startled, but she gave him his name, thinking that he just wanted to thank her formally, “My name is Doris-”

“Sorry, ma’am, but you’re lying,” Asta interrupted as he finished the second snake. It wasn’t half bad.

Her eyes widened. She asked curiously, “Whatever do you mean, little boy?”

Scratching his head, Asta pondered it for a moment. He explained, “I don’t know how to explain it, but I can sense that you’re not who you say you are. Like, hmm...like you’re someone who’s wearing a disguise! Yeah, that’s it. It’s like you’re trying to hide your true identity, sort of like a transformation or something...is there transformation magic?” The last part was more directed to himself as he rubbed his chin with his index finger.

_How can he sense my transformation if he doesn’t have magic? Oh my goodness, this is some juicy stuff right here!_ thought Julius-but-not-Julius, inner-child awakening in him. Before she could answer the grey-haired boy, his friend hollered at him to hurry up because they were already running late. Before the boy turned around to meet up with his friend, Julius-but-not-Julius asked, “What’s your name, little boy?”

Wondering why that lady-who-wasn’t-a-lady wanted to know, he just gave her a smile and turned to meet up with Yuno. He couldn’t trust anyone right now, especially someone who wanted to hide behind a mask. (Author: *cough* Yuno *cough*)

Yuno looked down at Asta disparagingly. He asked, “Why did you take so long?” Yuno really wasn’t upset about Asta holding a conversation with someone outside of his foster-family. In fact, he was proud. He was just upset because they were running late and because of Asta’s little stunt at the magical beast shop that made him faint.

“The old lady just wanted to know who I was,” Asta answered truthfully. He clung on to Yuno’s arm and said, “Come on, _mother_. We’re gonna be late.”

Yuno facepalmed. _Did this little shit really just reverse my own words on me? And_ mother _? Where the hell did_ daddy _go?_ Yuno wondered, face heating up immediately as he remembered the pet name Asta gave him. He sighed, “You can’t be serious.” With that, they proceeded to the coliseum to register for the exam.

Registration was just another mess in and entirely of itself. For Yuno, it went smoothly, but for Asta...not so smoothly. The registrar had been skeptical with Asta since he like everyone else that wasn’t in his foster-family sensed and believed that he had no magic whatsoever. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long with the line behind Asta getting long enough to reach past the coliseum’s entrance--that, and that fact that Asta remembered to show the skeptical man his grimoire, which was proof enough that he had magic. Yet again, the difference in color between Asta and Yuno’s grimoires went unnoticed by the two as they proceed further into the coliseum.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_A dark alley_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, morning (around the same time Yuno and Asta arrive at the Royal Capital)_

“Harder, daddy! Pl..!” begged the teenage boy, unable to finish his sentence as a hand covered his mouth. He was sweaty, he was hot, but most importantly, he was horny as fuck.

The other teenage boy that was pounding into him grunted. “Shit.” As he gave the bottom one last thrust, coming inside of him. The bottom, who had come way too early for his liking, almost collapsed from the pleasure he had felt had it not been from the top catching him. Suddenly, he sensed a familiar mana coming his way. “Shit,” he said again, pulling out of him, disregarding the wince of pain the bottom displayed from the action. He took the bottom’s shirt that was lying on the ground and wiped himself clean. He shoved it at the bottom’s chest, who was already zipping up his pants, knowing the “drill” that the top had told him about when they hooked up earlier that morning. The bottom gave him a quick kiss goodbye saying that he’d see him around and ran the other way from where the familiar mana was coming.

“Leo! Leo! Damnit, Leo. Where the hell are you?” yelled Fuegoleon.

Fixing his royal attire and clasping the golden rope of his red robe around his neck, he stepped in front of his older brother’s taller body, who had just rounded the corner. Looking up, he smiled and said, “Hey, Brother. I was just trying to check out the fresh meat this year.” He rubbed his nape and bit only the right side of his bottom lip.

“Ok, Leo. Whatever you say. I have no time to reprimand you for straying off. The exam is about to begin, and we need to be there to represent the Crimson Lion Kings. Don’t make me regret letting you tag along,” Fuegoleon said calmly.

“Yes, brother,” Leo huffed. With that, the brothers headed for the coliseum. Leo did really want to check out the fresh meat, and he did just that. That teenage boy he had just shoved his dick into was also going to participate in the exam. Leo didn’t bother getting his name--he just wanted some ass. Though, he did hope that he hadn’t been too rough with him since he had a big day ahead of him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I can make it up to any of you faithful readers with a longer chapter. As always, please let me know what you think.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam_

“Hey, there pretty lady,” Finral started, wrapping his arm around a young female examinee’s shoulder, catching her by surprise. She was just his type--black hair, pale skin, almost but not actually as tall as him. “What’s say we get out of here, and I’ll see to it that you-”

“Not a chance,” the young fifteen-year-old said, giving him a fake smile as she was quick to reject the dirty-blonde. She then went to her designated area as she heard the trumpets begin what she could have guessed was the entrance theme to signal the beginning of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam.

_That was the fastest one yet today_ , Finral thought as he cried crocodile tears at his fifth rejection of the day. _Honestly, it just keeps getting harder every year_ . He sighed, _Fine, if I can’t get it with a girl, then I might as well try a guy. It’s been like what? A good year or so since my last serious relationship with a guy?_ With that decided, Finral set out to find Captain Yami so that they could take their seats at the Balcony of Champions. S _eriously, why does everything in the coliseum have to have “of Champions” tacked onto the end of its name?_ Finral questioned to himself as he went to where he guessed Captain Yami would be--the Bathroom of Champions.

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam_

_The moment the trumpets blare the entrance theme_

_Shit..late again. Goddamn coliseum getting me lost again_ , Captain Yami complained. As he turned to head in the direction of the staircase that led to the balcony where the Magic Knight captains would be seated, a small kid bumped into him. Well, Yami thought he was small compared to him--which was basically everyone he came across with. The boy looked like a muscular shrimp with grey hair and green eyes. He looked like a peasant with the clothes that he wore, which didn’t bother Yami; one could say that it made him a little happy to see someone from the Forsaken Realm try to become a Magic Knight. Unfortunately, Yami knew that this kid wouldn’t make it in since he sensed no magic in him, and the anti-birds were right behind his tail, keeping distance because of Yami’s presence. Yami was about to say something when he looked into those green eyes that had a look of pure horror in them; the kid’s ki said the same thing as well. Instead of reacting in his usual murderous way, he decided to try something different for once. Yami sighed, “Look...kid, I’m not gonna hurt you if you’re thinking that,,,” What he said didn’t help. In fact, it seemed to rile up the kid even more. Not wanting to drag out the encounter any longer, Yami just grabbed the kid’s head and ruffled his hair, which seemed to make the kid relax a bit. Giving him a small smirk, he said softly, “Good luck, kid.” _You’re gonna need it_ , he thought to himself before he was caught by Finral, who was running towards him.

“Captain Yami! Come on, we’re gonna be late for the introductions,” Finral said as he arrived in front of the Captain of Black Bulls.

“Shut up, kid. I already know that...do you want me to kill you?” Yami said, tone low at the last part as if he actually meant it.

_But I was just trying to find you like you had told me to!_ Finral thought as he cried with crocodile tears. He was startled by Gordon, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. He was mumbling something that he couldn’t understand for the life of him, so Finral just nodded as he continued speaking. With the representatives of the Black Bulls’ squad gathered, Finral let out a sigh as he and Gordon followed Captain Yami to the balcony. They arrived right just in time as Captain Vangeance gave Captain Yami a nod to let him know that he was going to begin the entrance ceremony.

“Good morning, fellow citizens of Clover! I am William Vangeance, the Captain of the Golden Dawn, one of the nine Magic Knights’ squads that you will hopefully place in at the end of the exam. Allow me to introduce the other Magic Knight captains and the respective squads they lead,” William said. Going down the row, starting from his far right, he gave a short introduction of each person on the balcony, “Starting at my far right, we have Nozel Silva, the Captain of the Silver Eagles. Right next to him is Gueldre Poizot, the Captain of the Purple Orcas. Next to him is Jack the Ripper, the Captain of the Green Praying Mantises. And next to him is Charlotte Roselei, the Captain of the Blue Rose Knights. Starting at my far left, we have Yami Sukehiro, the Captain of the Black Bulls. Next to him, we have Rill Boismortier, the Captain of the Azure Deers. Right next to him is Dorothy Unsworth, the Captain of the Coral Peacocks. And last but certainly not least, we have Fuegoleon Vermillion, the Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings.” The examinees below the captains erupted in cheers, excited (albeit nervous) that all of the captains decided to evaluate them in-person instead of relying on what a piece of paper that an examiner described of them.

Fuegoleon took his turn in continuing the introductions, yelling with his booming voice that caused the crowd to immediately fall back into silence, “The rules of the exam are clear enough. You will all display your magic skills in different forms through various tests that we will administer throughout the day. After a short break to recover your mana to full capacity, the last test will consist of a friendly one-on-one magic duel with an opponent of your choice. You two will battle until one of two things happens: your opponent concedes or you outright defeat them. Do not worry, for we have the best Magic Knight healers this kingdom can offer on standby in case of major injuries! With that said, let the flames of victory fuel your competitive spirits! Hold nothing back!” Again, the crowd below him roared back in enthusiasm.

Leo was not paying attention at all to what his brother or Captain William had been saying. He was too distracted in those viridian-colored eyes that he had locked onto the moment he looked down and those eyes looked up. The boy was short in stature, but his muscular build contradicted any stereotypes of his height. Along with those enchanting viridian-colored eyes, he had messy ash-blonde hair with one strand protruding upwards from the center of his head, but part of it was covered by a black headband that had a red cross on its left side. His outfit gave away his position in society: a plain-white tunic underneath a dark-blue jacket with medium-length sleeves. His shorts had the same color of his jacket but appeared to have more stitching than his top. Yes, the boy was definitely a peasant, but Leo didn’t give a fuck like his entire family, who despised the de facto social stratification that ruled the Clover Kingdom. This boy was cute--cuter than anyone Leo had ever fucked. He was going to have fun with this.

Meanwhile, Asta felt a weird pounding in his chest when he looked into those turquoise-colored eyes by accident. He was just checking out the other captains, trying to determine which ones appeared nice enough to accept a magicless fifteen-year-old peasant like him, until he was suddenly captured by those eyes. Asta gave him a once-over like those eyes had been doing to him. He had long, messy vermillion-colored hair that was fashioned into spikes with part of it braided. His clothes screamed nobility, even royalty: a white tunic under a dark-blue shirt like his, but its collar was higher and had gold trimmings at its edges. His long white pants were clean and on top of everything was a long, crimson-colored robe that he must’ve been wearing to represent his affiliation with the Crimson Lion Kings--everything was clean about him. He returned his gaze up to those eyes with red markings around them. Asta was really confused, tilting his head to the side like the albino lion cub from earlier. _Is that the captain’s little brother? I mean, they look alike, so they’ve gotta be_ , thought Asta. But the moment his gaze fell upon his lips that he was licking as if he wanted to feast on something, he shuddered and clung closer to Yuno whom he was standing next to thankfully.

Yuno looked down and whispered to Asta, “Everything ok?”

“Umm...that guy up there’s looking at me funny,” Asta said while he pointed a shaky finger at the balcony.

Eyes widening, Yuno snapped his head up with a scowl to find said guy but was interrupted by Captain William.

“Let’s begin!” declared William. He opened to a page in his grimoire and recited, “ **World Tree Magic: Magic Tree Descent**.” With that, giant tree roots began descending from the clouds above the coliseum, releasing broomsticks that came out of the wood. This had caused all the examinees to stare in amazement, feeling honored that a captain would grace them with a display of their magical prowess. Once there appeared to be enough broomsticks for the examinees, William lifted his hand to recall the magic tree’s roots back to the skies. “The first test is the most basic. A Magic Knight must be able to use a broomstick as it is the fastest means of transport that exists for magic users. Without being able to use one properly, a Magic Knight is rendered useless. You do not need to be an expert, just show us that you can use one.”

_This should be easy enough right?_ thought Asta. It was the very first lesson Father Orsi had taught him. As a matter of fact, he had gotten so good at it that whenever he took the magic broom, he would be standing on it as he cruised through the air. He did what he always did and relaxed his body. He pushed off the ground only to face-plant into it. _The fuck?_ Asta thought. He didn’t notice Yuno, who was already cruising at a comfortable altitude, give him a look of pity.

“Bah-ha! Look at you, kid! You can’t even fly a broomstick!” laughed a blonde teenager haughtily at Asta. He pointed at the grey-haired examinee when the blonde finally steadied his balance on his broomstick.

Asta turned at the sound. “Huh?” The moment he saw that he was looking at a man, he started trembling, dropping his broomstick to the floor.

_The hell happened to him? Oh, well. He’ll be useful if I stick to him during the exam. I’ll be sure to impress the captains next to this loser. Heck, I might even make it into the Crimson Lion Kings at this rate. Yeah, I’ll do that. Then, I’ll take this cutie out for a stroll and hopefully get him in bed with me_ , the teenage boy thought. “Bah-ha! Relax, kid. The name’s Sekke Bronzazza. I don’t mean any harm. In fact, I wanna be your friend. We gotta stick together if we wanna have a chance at passing this exam and becoming a Magic Knight, right?” he reassured the grey-haired boy. _Pfft, you gotta be fucking kidding me. My mana-sensing sucks ass, but even I can tell this kid has no magic. I might even make it into the Golden Dawn if I stick with this kid_ , Sekke thought as he smirked at the kid.

Asta, having heard that someone wanted to be his friend, brightened immediately. He had to start trusting people, right? So why not start now? “My name’s Asta,” he introduced as he pointed at himself with his thumb and gave his new friend Sekke a wide, toothy grin. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Sekke! Maybe we should stick together.” He looked up at where Yuno was flying and thought to himself, _See that, Yuno? I’ve already made a friend!_ With that, the two new “friends” stuck together as they took the other tests of the entrance exam. 

As suspected, Asta failed anything that involved the use of mana, which was basically all the tests except for a physical endurance one where they had to jog the perimeter of the coliseum ten times--Asta finished that one first, not even noticing that he was already on his thirtieth lap while everyone was barely finishing up their tenth. As everyone sat down to catch their breath and recover their mana with some free mana-restoring food, the captains were in the balcony quietly speaking to each other, discussing the examinees’ performance.

“That raven-haired boy is quite gifted,” said William as he looked down at Yuno, who was checking on Asta to make sure he was ok.

“Yes, you’re right, William,” agreed Fuegoleon. He didn’t notice Leo shooting daggers at Yuno.

“Hmph. What happened to you two? That boy is clearly a peasant,” sneered Nozel.

“How rude of you to say such things, Nozel,” said Charlotte, ignoring the silver-haired royal’s cold glare.

“Tch. I agree with you, William, about that boy. But has anyone noticed the kid he’s with?” asked Yami.

“He has no magic,” said the other captains in unison (except for Dorothy who was still sleeping).

“Oh, but he’s so cute! I wonder if he’ll want to be my friend so we could paint together,” said Rill, the youngest captain of the group.

“Shut up, kid! Or I’ll slice you up!” said Jack. This got the young white-haired captain to cower behind his chair.

Clearing his throat, William said, “Well regardless of his lack of magic, his effort was still evident. Still he won’t pass, so let’s just get this over with.” All of the other captains nodded in agreement. “Fuegoleon, will you do the honors?”

Fuegoleon nodded and stood up. Again in his loud, commanding voice, he announced, “Congratulations on making it this far, examinees! We will begin the last test of this exam shortly, so please partner up!” With that, all the examinees scattered to find themselves a suitable partner.

Asta was trying to find Yuno when Sekke tapped him on the shoulder. “Oh, hey there...uhh...what was your name again?” Asta asked, rubbing his nape and smiling awkwardly.

“Sekke! For the umpteenth time, my name’s, Sekke, Asta!” he yelled, causing the shorter boy to take a step back in shock, trembling. Sighing and giving him an encouraging pat on the back to make him calm down, Sekke continued, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. Anyways, you wanna partner up with me?”

Thinking that Sekke was a worthy opponent and meant no harm like he said earlier that day, Asta nodded his head. “Yeah, sure! Why not? Uhh...but I guess we’ll have to wait for the next match, since it looks like my foster-brother’s about to begin,” Asta said, pointing at the center of the coliseum where the duel was to take place.

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, early afternoon_

_After Fuegoleon announces to the examinees to find a partner_

“Asta!” Yuno called. He was trying to find his beloved so that he could duel with him because he didn’t trust anyone else to take it as easy as he planned to with Asta. Yuno wanted to make Asta’s failure as painless as possible, and he thought he was just the right man for the job. As he kept walking around, trying to find the short, grey-haired boy, a teenage boy, who was shorter than Yuno, stepped in front of him. He had long, blond hair that was tied back in a long ponytail, and his slanted green eyes had a condescending glint in them.

“Hello, there. My name is Salim Hapshass of the House Hapshass. Would you like to be my opponent?” he asked, but more ordered, the taller, raven-haired boy. Salim had to admit that he was impressed by the boy’s skill during the other tests, even being able to stay in-stride with that magicless wimp. Still, Salim wanted to test the boy’s skill himself.

Appearing as if the blonde was not going to take no for an answer, Yuno kept his face stoic and answered tersely, “Ok.” With that, the two opened up their grimoires. Everyone saw the two, so they immediately backed up to their designated spectator area, implying the first match was between Yuno and Salim.

Noticing what was about to happen, the proctor ran out to assume his position. Lifting his right hand into the air, he asked, “Ready?” Receiving a nod from both competitors, the proctor sliced his hand down to signal the green-light while also yelling, “Fight!”

“ **Lightning Magic: God of Lightning Rising Salim** ,” recited Salim. With that, a large ball of electricity formed in front of him, impressing some onlookers, who said that it was typical of a nobleman to have such power. “Sorry about this, peasant. But I’ll have to end your dreams before they even begin. Time to face my reality, you filthy..!”

Yuno cut the cheeky nobleman off, “ **Wind Magic: Towering Tornado**.” With a swipe of his hand, a column of air sprouted from the ground, swallowing the ball of electricity like it was nothing. Yuno already knew the moment Salim revealed his lightning magic that he was at a major advantage since lightning magic was derived from wind. He used his most powerful spell to distribute the electric ball throughout the tornado, essentially making them into harmless specks that evaporated into the air. As the wind died down, Salim stood there in shock, defeated before even being touched.

“I concede,” declared Salim reluctantly. He poured all of his mana into that attack, so it would’ve been pointless to continue a losing battle.

Yuno turned to walk into the spectator area, ignoring the cheers for his four-leaf grimoire, to make way for the next match. As he was walking out, he directed his venom at the still-frozen Salim without looking back, “Face my reality, bitch.” This made the crowd fall silent. Yuno assumed it was because of what he had said, but the moment he heard someone call out “magicless shrimp”, Yuno whipped his head back to center-stage where the match between Asta and Sekke was about to begin. He could only hope that this person would have some pity on Asta so that his job to comfort him would be a little easier.

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, early afternoon_

_After Yuno defeated Salim_

Asta was so proud of Yuno! Sure, it sucked that he couldn’t be the one to face his rival, but seeing the culmination of years’ worth of training in Yuno’s swift defeat of that petty nobleman made Asta’s still-shattered heart well up in pride for his foster-brother. He also liked the badass line he delivered--it was something that Yuno probably had taken from Asta’s “playbook”. He was brought out of his thoughts when Sekke’s hand clapped his shoulder.

“Asta! Looks like the first match is over. You ready?” beamed Sekke. _You ready to lose pipsqueak?_ Sekke thought. He was going to go all-out so that he could impress the captains. He didn’t care if Asta was going to get hurt...since all that hurt would turn into pleasure by the end of the night.

As he and Sekke made their way to center-stage, Asta couldn’t ignore listening to the whispers of doubt from the sea of people as their eyes seemed to follow the two examinees that would duel in the second match. At times like these, he used to use those words as motivation to push himself. But that was the key phrase--”used to”. The incident with the ex-Magic Knight had left him with so much trauma that even his determination withered away as he slowly lost his innocence that day. The miscarriage just broke him. He had never known he was pregnant until it was too late. He had never known that he was carrying the child of his rapist. He respected what other people would have thought about having a bastard child, but he would have loved that child unconditionally, raising him to be proud of who he or she was, not as a child of a rapist but as Asta’s child and a child of God. That’s why he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces the moment he held that bloody bundle in his arms--he had just lost a child. He was grateful that the Magic Knight healer and Sister Lily gave him that moment to talk to his kin and even more grateful when the two ladies changed everything in the room that had blood on it, including his nightgown, because he didn’t know how he could face anyone else in that state. As the Magic Knight healer stepped away, taking the bundle from Asta into her arms, Asta said goodbye to his happiness, to his determination, to his willingness to love that night. That’s why as he and Sekke made their way to the center, Asta bit his lip, keeping his mouth shut, willing the tears in his eyes to go away. He returned his attention to the present. He had not told anyone this--even Yuno--but he was going to dedicate his becoming of a Magic Knight to his unnamed child.

The proctor made his way to the center as well, placing himself between the two competitors. Just as he did in the match prior, he raised his right hand and asked, “Ready?” Receiving a nod from both, he sliced his hand downward and yelled, “Fight!” Immediately, the two jumped back. Sekke did so because he knew Asta’s lack of magic would force him to fight hand-to-hand combat--a brute tactic that the majority of Magic Knights barely entertained, at least that was what his sources told him. Asta did so because he noticed that Sekke had trouble maintaining his concentration, needing extra time than most people to register that his opponent had moved. Even if the hindrance was just a half of a second longer than normal, Asta needed to use anything to his advantage since he was completely powerless magically--Asta needed to fight smart. That was another thing that Asta had a slight advantage of--most people mistook his happy-go-lucky nature (despite being his own mask he hid his broken self behind) for stupidity.

Opening up his grimoire to a certain page, Sekke recited with a devilish grin, “ **Bronze Creation Magic: Sekke’s Magnum Cannonball** .” With that, Sekke surrounded his body in a transparent, aquamarine-colored ball of bronze that had several peaks protruding from the sphere at random directions. Looking up for a moment at the impassive expressions of the Magic Knight captains, Sekke thought, _How do you like that? This is my most-powerful spell so far. It can attack and defend simultaneously!_ He turned his attention back to Asta who was just standing still in a fighting position. “Bah-ha! Asta! I’m not going to hold back! I don’t give a fuck if I hurt you because I’m going to become a Magic Knight in any way I can. Even if that means fatally injuring you!” he yelled, firing a warning shot in the form of a bronze cannonball that missed Asta’s left leg just barely.

_Was that--no--that wasn’t a warning shot. He can’t control where the cannonball fires_ , Asta thought. He began to start running around Sekke, testing to see if his hypothesis was true. It seemed correct since every time Sekke fired a cannonball, he kept missing at varying distances--some too close, some too far. Unfortunately, the moment he stopped, he had to dodge another bronze cannonball that was aimed straight at his head. Smiling, he shouted, “That one would’ve hurt like hell, Sekke! But it looks like you can’t control where your cannonballs go!”

Sekke smirked. “Bah-ha! You’re pretty smart for a magicless shrimp.” He crossed his arms and shrugged, “Oh, well. There’s no point in hiding anything now since I intend to finish you off. I’m going to win this match, and you’re going to fail the exam. Plain and simple. I’m going to become a Magic Knight, and you’re going to stay the filthy peasant that you are! But don’t worry, after this is over, I’m going to make you mine. I’m going to make you my bitch!”

Asta froze, coming out of his fighting stance. Hugging himself to stop trembling, he voiced out in a shaky breath, “Y-You d-don’t m-mean that...P-Please, S-Se-Sekke, t-tell me you d-don’t mean t-that…” Tears began to form around his eyes as his knees started buckling beneath him, making him struggle to stay upright.

Sekke clicked his tongue in amusement. He didn’t notice the other scenes that were happening around him, caused by the growl from Yuno and Leo who were both ready to cut his throat out. Leo had to be scolded by Fuegoleon whereas Yuno just scared the people around him as they backed up at the sound. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Bah-ha! To think I could make you beg and tremble like that makes me almost pity you. But that’s the thing-- _almost_.” He sighed, shrugging his shoulders again, and continued, “No matter, it just makes what I’m about to do all the more...delectable.”

Asta stilled, petrified in absolute horror as the all-too-familiar words rang in his head:

_It just makes what I’m about do all the more...delectable_ …

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, early afternoon_

_Asta’s Mind_

_The moment Sekke said those words_

Asta was on his knees, trembling and crying, hugging himself as tight as he could as he heard those words. _Please, Sekke. Please. Please! Please! Tell me you don’t mean it. Please!_

He didn’t notice the dark, shadowy figure that was behind him. Slowly, it opened its eyes to reveal blood-red sclera and yellow pupils in the shape of a cat’s eye. It let out a breath of air that made Asta’s smaller form shudder but still not enough to make him turn around. The towering figure stretched out a claw as pitch-black as a starless night. As the claw stretched out to touch Asta’s head and the center of his back, it said in a low voice that echoed throughout the void that was Asta’s mind, “ **_Migising ka ‘nak_ **.”

The moment this happened Asta’s breath hitched, and the last thing he heard was Yuno’s voice calling for him until all he saw was red.

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, early afternoon_

_The moment Sekke said those words_

“Asta!” Yuno called. Suddenly, the ground rumbled beneath his feet, and the sky above the coliseum darkened, blocking out the sun’s rays.

“Hate...Die...Hate,” Asta mumbled. He felt power coursing through his body, but it wasn’t anything sinister. It felt familiar...it felt like his...magic. He flared up his mana, making the ground around him crack. The power surge would have knocked all the spectators off their feet had it not been for the protective barrier that separated the center-stage from the spectator area. Still, it was powerful enough to cause many of the spectators to stumble backwards. The captains in the balcony had also stood up from their seats, bodies cloaked in mana and grimoires out, ready for anything to come.

_Such power…_ most of the captains thought. Even Captain Yami’s cigarette fell to the floor when his jaw dropped, indicating his shock. No one, not even the Magic Knight captains expected the magicless child to have so much mana.

_Dare I say it...it might be stronger than mine_ , Nozel gulped, mercury magic preparing to shield his fellow captains. _Just who is this peasant..?_

_Impressive_ , Fuegoleon thought.

**_This mana...it can’t be_ **, thought a different voice in William’s head.

Leo was probably the only one with the most inappropriate reaction out of everyone in the coliseum. His nose was bleeding while most of the blood rushed down his pants. _So fucking hot!_ he thought.

Now, it was Sekke’s turn to tremble in absolute fear and shock at the display. He was lucky he had used his most powerful attack and defensive spell because had he not, he would’ve been knocked straight out of the coliseum from the power surge. In a shaky breath, he asked Asta, “W-What are you?”

“Hate...I hate...you...die...kill,” Asta mumbled. He opened up his grimoire to a blank page that had a new spell being written on it.

“What the fuck are you saying, peasant!? Answer me, bitch!” Sekke yelled, firing a bronze cannonball that only deflected back at him and bounced off of his bronze sphere as Asta flared his mana up even more with the cracks in the ground reaching Sekke’s position.

_Just how much power does this boy have?_ thought Charlotte as she began to reinforce Nozel’s mercury magic shield with her briars.

“Kill...you...die...hate...die,” Asta mumbled, eyes widening in bloodlust. He raised his left hand, calling his mana to rise in the direction he pointed--the sky. Everyone in the coliseum, including the Magic Knight captains, was speechless as they followed the mana trailing up to the dark clouds, feeling the absurd amount of mana leaving Asta’s body. Asta finally spoke clearly for everyone to hear, but this time to recite the new spell, “ **Demon Light Magic: Mana Zone: Archangel’s Sword of Divine Retribution**.” With that, the ground beneath the coliseum rumbled stronger as the occupants of the coliseum looked in awe and terror at the dark sky that revealed the tip of a giant sword of grey light beginning to make its descent onto the coliseum.

_Mana zone!?_ thought all the captains.

_Tch. My dark magic can’t stop that big-ass sword_ , thought Yami, gripping the handle of his sheathed katana more tightly.

Asta returned to his mumbling, “Die...die...die…” He sliced his hand down to direct the sword at his intended target, who was cowering in fear on his knees, hands on the back of his head, thinking that it would protect him from his impending doom. But just as the giant grey-light sword sliced through the air, Asta was trapped in a transparent blue ball and so was the sword. The sphere trapping the sword began to shrink, the sword along with it, until it disappeared into nothing. Suddenly, a regal figure, the transparent orb’s spellcaster, descended onto the coliseum and landed softly between Asta, who was trapped in the orb, and Sekke, who was looking around wondering where the sword that was supposed to impale him had gone. The regal figure had short, messy blond hair and purple eyes. He wore a long, red robe that covered his entire body with part of his robe that covered his torso covered in white fur. In his right hand, which was also covered in red fur and white fur at the wrists, he held another (albeit smaller version) of the transparent blue orb that trapped Asta.

“ **Time Magic: Chrono Stasis** . Well, well. It’s finally nice to meet you, Asta-kun,” said the regal figure as he smiled warmly at the frozen figure of Asta. “I’ve trapped you in time, but I know you can hear me. Though I can understand why you’re angry, please control yourself; this is supposed to be a _friendly_ magic duel--not a deathmatch,” he said, chuckling lightly. Turning to address the still-awestruck crowd of examinees and Magic Knight captains alike. He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his nape. “This wasn’t the way I wanted to meet you all. But I guess I should answer everyone’s question before I take my leave. My name is Julius Novachrono. I am the 28th Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom.” Everyone was still silent, probably even more awestruck now that they got to see the most powerful mage in the entire kingdom. Julius laughed awkwardly again. “Anywho, I’ll be going now. Don’t worry about the coliseum, I’ll have our Magic Knight repair team fix it back to its former state. Though, I should charge Asta-kun here for the damages…” Crickets...no one acknowledged his terrible joke. _Tough crowd_ , Julius thought, sweat-dropping. He sighed and turned back to Asta. “I hope you’re calmer now, Asta-kun. I’d like to talk to you again sometime about your dual-magic affinity,” he said, whispering the last part, giving the frozen grey-haired boy a wink before he flew off and released Asta.

The moment Asta was released, Yuno ran to Asta and captured him in a tight hug. “Are you ok, Asta? Are you hurt? Is there anything broken?” Yuno felt the shorter boy try to answer back, but his voice was muffled by Yuno’s chest. He pulled Asta back and held onto his shoulders. “What did you say?”

“I said I couldn’t breathe, _mother_ ,” Asta huffed, puffing out his cheeks and crossing his arms.

Yuno’s nose started to bleed from the cuteness, which he promptly wiped with his palm. He shook his fist at Asta, causing the shorter boy to step back, starting to shake. Realizing what he had done, even with no ill-intent, he brought his fist down and bent down to give Asta a lighter hug. “I’m sorry. I was just scared something bad happened to you again?”

Body relaxing in Yuno’s touch, Asta asked, “What do you mean?”

Bewildered, Yuno released Asta again from the hug to look at him, he asked, “You don’t know what happened?”

Asta looked around and blinked a couple of times, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing things right: a group of hooded Magic Knights were repairing a damaged coliseum. He then looked back at Yuno blankly and stated, “Who the hell did this?”

Before Yuno could answer, Fuegoleon’s booming voice echoed through the coliseum once more. “We apologize for the...minor inconvenience. The coliseum is about to be fully-repaired. Let me remind you all that you are still taking the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam to become a Magic Knight that will defend this land! Do not let what happened sway your confidence!” Everyone started cheering again, blood pumping from the Crimson Lion Kings’ captain’s impromptu motivational speech, acting as if the coliseum wasn’t just about to crumble before Asta’s reawakened power. Once the coliseum was repaired, the last test continued, carrying on through late-afternoon.

As the magic duels continued, William sat silently, watching Yuno recount to Asta everything that the latter had done. While he did this, the voice in his head spoke again, **_Our plans have changed just a bit. We have a new target in addition to_ ** **him** **_. Discuss the matter with Gueldre_ **. William nodded in agreement. He turned his gaze to the captain of the Purple Orcas, who was also looking at him, and gave him a single nod, which the burly man returned to show he understood.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter that I hope you will enjoy.
> 
> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Royal Capital_

_Coliseum of Champions_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, late-afternoon_

As the sun was beginning to set over the Royal Capital, Fuegoleon ordered all the examinees to line up in numerical order. They did as they were told, maintaining an equal distance from the persons behind, in front of, and next to them. That was the case except for Asta, who had not let go of Yuno since the magic duels had recommenced after Asta’s...accident. It was drawing attention to the “peasant freak” (Yuno) and “peasant freak 2.0” (Asta), together making the “magic peasant freak brothers”, as many of the examinees had put it after witnessing Asta’s display of power. 

Yuno, despite maintaining the indifferent expression on his face, had a million questions running through his mind, which wasn’t anything new. The number one question though was: Will Asta pass the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam? Yuno had been going through all the possibilities since he had totally not been watching Asta’s every move throughout the exam, save his duel with Salim. It also didn’t help that Asta began squirming, drawing more attention to the two. Leaning down, he whispered, “What’s wrong?”

“I-It’s that guy again,” Asta muttered, pointing to where Leo was. He didn’t fail to notice those turquoise eyes following him the entire day. Asta wouldn’t have minded it had it not been for his mouth that conveyed a completely different message. His eyes were soft and almost caring, but his mouth showed a more animalistic desire, tongue licking the person’s lips more frequently as the end of the day grew closer. It confused Asta so much. But it was when one of the eyes winked at Asta, its soft and almost caring expression suddenly switching to match his mouth’s desires, that made Asta squirm in his place, making him avert his gaze to anywhere but those turquoise-colored eyes.

Yuno looked up to where Asta was pointing and met the same eyes that looked at Asta. Yuno assumed that it must’ve been Captain Fuegoleon’s younger brother since they had nearly the same features--the two most prominent ones being their hair color and red marks around their eyes. Those eyes turned from Asta’s to Yuno’s, and Yuno instantly knew that the man was trouble, able to catch a glimpse of those sex-hungry eyes for a split-second before they turned cold. Yuno returned the cold gaze, having a silent battle with the person until Captain William stepped up to begin the closing ceremony.

“Congratulations, examinees, for making it this far! I am honored to have been able to witness such ferocious determination from you all throughout this day...though some of you were a bit too ferocious,” the masked captain said, hinting at the grey-haired orphan’s mishap. This earned laughs from the crowd as they turned towards the person the captain had implicated, some becoming a little puzzled because Asta’s presence had greatly weakened all of a sudden. Meanwhile, this made Asta cling onto Yuno a little tighter, earning an even colder glare from the person that made his Asta uncomfortable. William continued, “Although I would like to choose you all to be a part of the Magic Knights, we must, unfortunately, only select the handful that have caught our eyes. Furthermore, we do not know any of your names since there are over six hundred of you here, which I sincerely apologize on all the captains’ behalf. That is why we had you line up in numerical order--to make the selection process more...efficient. The process is simple: once you hear your number, you will step forward, front and center; then, the captains will raise their hands to indicate whether they are interested in taking you into their respective squads. Finally, in the event that multiple captains wish to have you in their squad, you as the examinee, have the pleasure of choosing among which squad you would like to join from the interested captains. If there are no hands raised, I am sorry, but you will have to try again next year. With that said, Number 1, please step forward.” William paused to allow the other captains to make their decisions after the first examinee had stepped forward. Seeing no show of hands, he said, “No offers. Number 2, please step forward.”

As the process continued, both Asta and Yuno became equally worried. Only so few were chosen out of the first hundred, and those that failed had a mix of emotions--some were content at having tried while others cried, claiming that their life was over. The two boys, along with those near them, guffawed when they heard Salim Hapshass get disqualified for attempting to bribe a Magic Knight captain during the intermission between the penultimate and final tests. Everyone gasped, however, when they saw Sekke get chosen by Jack the Ripper. He was quietly complaining that he would rather be working for his uncle than be stuck with a slice-hungry maniac. As their numbers were close to being called, Asta pulled Yuno’s sleeve to get his attention. The taller boy leaned in and Asta whispered, “Do you think we’ll get into the same squad?”

If he was being honest, Yuno didn’t know. Seeing how, in Yuno’s eyes, some formidable examinees get rejected, even he doubted that he would be accepted. Still, even if he did get accepted, he would keep the promise he had made to Father Orsi and Sister Lily while also keeping the promise he had made to Asta of never leaving him ever again. Whispering back, he said, “I’m sure we will.” Seeing Asta smile at the assurance made Yuno feel guilty that he had technically lied to the person he loved.

“Number 164, please step forward,” said William. Yuno moved to the designated area and looked up. Immediately, he heard gasps from behind him as he saw all the captains’ hands go up. 

_Even if it’s to protect Asta, I have to go where my chances to become the Wizard King are highest_ , thought Yuno. Decision made, Yuno shouted, “I’d like to be in the Golden Dawn!” He turned to his new captain, who gave him a slight nod and smile. Yuno returned the gesture and headed back to his spot in the line.

“Number 165, please step forward,” said William. Asta moved to the designated area nervously. He tried to ignore people’s comments along the way, ranging from a cheater that should be disqualified to a prodigy that would probably get into the Golden Dawn. Asta really hoped for the latter because he didn’t know how he could function without Yuno. When he got to front and center, he looked up and was shocked as all the hands went up...except that of the masked captain of the Golden Dawn. Asta was petrified, but he immediately composed himself, knowing that he couldn’t let this chance that all the other captains were giving him go to waste. 

Asta thought this through thoroughly, beginning at his far left with Captain Nozel Silva. _Aside from his weird braid, he doesn’t look like he actually wants me to improve. From what I’ve heard, he’s also a royal like Captain Fuegoleon, so he’ll probably just make me do the boring stuff like cooking and cleaning since I’m a peasant._ He moved next in line to Captain Gueldre Poizot. _This dude just looks suspicious--more suspicious behind that mask than Captain William_ . He skipped over Jack the Ripper because...no. Just no. Next was Captain Charlotte Roselei. _Hmm, she seems pretty nice...acts like Yuno, hiding her insecurities behind a stoic mask. But she’s only chosen women up until now and although I’m really comfortable with that fact, I can’t limit myself to one gender if I want to grow as a Magic Knight._ He skipped over Captain William, for obvious reasons, to Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion. _The guy seems nice and if what I’ve heard about him today was true about his animosity towards social classes, then that all the more reason to-_ Asta’s thought-process was interrupted by the pair of the turquoise-colored eyes standing next to the captain. He shuddered when he winked at him again, shuddering a second time when he heard Yuno growl for some reason. He sighed and thought, _Nevermind…_ Next was Captain Dorothy Unsworth who was...asleep? _Although I can sense how powerful her mana is, I just don’t feel comfortable with a captain who sleeps, apparently, ninety-eight percent of the time._ Next was Captain Rill Boismortier, who was giving him a bright smile and urging him to join with a painting of him and Asta playing in a field. Asta smiled back and thought, _I think he’s awesome, and I hope I could be his friend! But Father Orsi always taught me that experience is a must when it comes to these kinds of things and if he really is as young as everyone said he is, then I’ll have to pass._ All that was left was Captain Yami Sukehiro, who was giving him a blank stare while he smoked his cigarette. _He looks intimidating but what he did earlier this morning to help me relax when I was terrified of him says otherwise._ Calculating one last time, Asta made his decision. “I-I’d like to be in the Black Bulls!” This had most people gasp in shock and others faint. He moved back to his spot and tugged on Yuno’s sleeve to get his attention, but he wouldn’t budge.

Yuno was mortified. First, Asta passed and became a Magic Knight. Second, almost all the captains wanted him just like they had with Yuno. Third, _almost_ all the captains wanted Asta, pissing off Yuno that his new captain hadn’t considered Asta. Fourth, Asta had chosen the worst squad of all the Magic Knights squads. Was he even listening to what others had said about the Black Bulls? In a matter of minutes, he and Asta just became polar opposites in terms of their squads’ notorieties. He continued to ignore Asta’s attempts to get his attention, too deep in his thoughts to be bothered. He didn’t notice Captain Yami chuckling loudly, interrupting the ceremony.

“Oh my God!” Yami laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. He kept laughing, pointing a finger at Nozel and Fuegoleon, who were not at all amused. “Take that Weird-Braids and Brogoleon. You just got passed up by the little shrimp for me!”

“Shut your mouth, foreign scum,” said Nozel condescendingly. He was beyond offended by being rejected by a peasant for the second time today. _Clearly those two are stupid_ , he thought.

“You win this round, Yami,” said Fuegoleon, giving Yami a half-smile and a nod to acknowledge the other’s victory with Yami returning the gesture. “Leo, pipe down will you? What has gotten into you?” he asked, glaring at his little brother, who was growling as he continued his staring contest with Yuno.

After over six hundred examinees, William’s voice was tired, so he had Fuegoleon do the closing remarks. Standing up to observe the significantly smaller crowd, his voice boomed. “Congratulations to you all for becoming Magic Knights! This is the first step in your long journey, and I am proud to consider you my brothers and sisters in arms! Please, find your captain so that we may escort you to your new headquarters. You are all dismissed!” With that, everyone filed out of the coliseum with Leo rushing out the moment he was dismissed. He needed to find that cutie before his dick would shrivel up from the lack of stimulation.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, nighttime_

By the time everyone had met up and gone off with their respective new squads, night had fallen over the Royal Capital. Yuno didn’t bother meeting up with his new captain like he was told. He wanted to talk to Asta first so that he could tell him the truth of why he had been able to convince Father Orsi and Sister Lily to let him go to the Royal Capital with him. He had finally found the chance not too long ago when not too many people were around, and the people that were around wouldn’t have bothered as they seemed too engaged in their own conversations with whomever. Yuno had pulled Asta to the side to tell him. The original plan was to just let it all out in one go--no beating around the bush. Unfortunately, like it always had been whenever Yuno was with Asta, things never went according to plan. Soon enough, they were talking about the exam they had taken throughout the day and what their plans were. It was when Yuno remembered what he was going to talk to about that Asta just bolted off all of a sudden. As he ran off to the bathroom that they were lucky to find themselves near, Asta was blaring out profanities and something about purple snakes on a stick. Yuno figured that that sketchy-looking snack that the other had eaten was the cause of whatever had happened.

Now, Yuno was regrettably standing near the bathroom stalls, leaning over a wall, having not been able to say a single thing to Asta he had planned to tell him. Was it even worth it though? Would anything change now that exactly the opposite of his proposed outcome had happened--that Asta didn’t fail the exam, and Yuno and him hadn’t ended up sticking together? What the prevailing question was, however, was: Were they still rivals? The question made Yuno’s chest constrict in guilt as he recalled what he had outright told Father Orsi and Sister Lily. Now that since Asta had his magic again, they could be rivals again, right? But why did it feel so different now? He hadn’t even told Asta that he had declared their rivalry null and void. Before he could ponder this feeling any further, he was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of his captain, William Vangeance.

“Yuno, there you are. We’ve been looking all over for you,” said the masked Captain of the Golden Dawn. Next to him was one of his subordinates. He was taller than the captain with light-blue hair, and he wore black, rectangular glasses. He didn’t look too pleased with what was happening.

“Captain Vang-” Yuno started.

“That’s _Lord_ Vangeance to you, peasant! Have some respect for the man that will be Wiza-” said his subordinate, before William raised his right hand to cut him off.

“It’s alright, Klaus. I’m not too keen on those kinds of formalities anyways,” said William. He turned to Yuno, who had an expressionless face as he glared at Klaus then returned a softer gaze at William. Smiling he continued, “You can call me Captain Vangeance since that’s what I’m used to. I’d like to talk to you privately for a moment. Klaus, if you don’t mind, please prepare the carriage for our departure.” He didn’t turn to his subordinate to acknowledge him. Once he knew that he had left, the air between him and his new subordinate fell silent as if the two were waiting for the other to address the obvious issue that was lingering in the silence.

Yuno was the first to speak up. In an impassive voice, maintaining his stoic expression, Yuno asked, “Why did you not make an offer to Asta?”

William closed his eyes and hummed as if he were gathering his thoughts. In the same tone as the raven-haired boy, he answered with his own question, “Why do you want me to make an offer to Asta?”

Yuno was taken aback by his captain’s frankness, but his face didn’t show it. Should he tell him why? No, that wouldn’t make sense. Plus, it’s sensitive information that he had no right to tell unless Asta said so. But how should he answer the question? He started to get annoyed with his lack of a good answer, so he opted for what first came to mind at that moment. “He’s my foster-brother and my rival. I want him to receive the best possible training in the strongest Magic Knight squad so that I won’t leave him behind.”

William didn’t answer. Instead, he turned around to head to where Klaus and another new subordinate were waiting to go back to their headquarters. Once he made some distance, he stopped mid-stride and turned his head over his shoulder when Yuno called him in a confused tone. William was still close enough so that Yuno could hear what he was going to say. In the same impassive tone, he said, “You think you two are _rivals_ ? Maybe in your hopes and dreams, Yuno. You and everyone in that coliseum felt how much power Asta truly had, and I have reason to believe that that is only a _fraction_ of his true potential. I don’t know what _you_ have been thinking all this time, but Asta is leaps and bounds ahead of you. I didn’t make an offer to him because I pitied _you_ . If you want to have any chance at catching up to your _foster-brother_ , then _you_ need the best possible training in the strongest Magic Knight squad. Better yet, if you want Asta to even consider you _his rival_ or even have the capacity to protect _him_ and not the other way around, then you should cut any ties with him right here and now so that you can dedicate yourself to your training.” With that, Captain Vangeance took his leave. He knew that Yuno knew where to go, so he didn’t bother adding it into his spiel. As he walked towards their meeting point, he checked a box in his mental checklist--separate the two boys.

Yuno stood there frozen in place. The words his captain had told him took Yuno some time to process and once they did, they pierced through his soul. Did Captain William find out what Yuno felt for Asta even in the short time they had known each other? Was everything he said true? Had Yuno been living some fantasy where he had thought he and Asta were neck and neck in terms of power? More importantly, did Asta think the same way? Had Asta made this rivalry so that he could just keep himself grounded--so that he wouldn’t soar too high and be alone at the top? A dark pit of envy began to make its way into Yuno’s heart, replacing a small bit of the love he felt for Asta with pure hatred. Maybe Captain William was right--maybe he should cut off his ties with the _peasant_ \- _No. No. No. Stop it, Yuno! You_ love _Asta. He’s your rival. He’s your best friend. So what if he’s stronger than you? Use it as a means to become greater, to surpass your limits. You can’t hate him when all he has for you is love_ , Yuno thought. 

Still, though, it didn’t help that what Captain William said was correct--if he wanted to become stronger and catch up to Asta, he would have to dedicate himself more to his work than to his feelings for Asta. Who knows? Maybe if he did just that, Asta would finally see him as his equal and begin to love him the same way Yuno did for Asta. Did that make any sense? Maybe to anybody else, it wouldn’t have but to Yuno, it did. Mind made up, he was going to head out to meet up with his new squad when he heard the yelp of a familiar voice. When he turned around to find the owner of the voice, Yuno saw a sight that made his blood boil.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, nighttime_

_As Yuno is speaking with Captain William_

Leo had been following the cutie and his raven-haired bodyguard since he caught a glimpse of them leaving to go somewhere that was not where the two were supposed to be going. He didn’t know why the two separated themselves from the rest of the new Magic Knights but if what his staring contest with the teenage boy that made it into the Golden Dawn told Leo anything, it was that the guy held some of the same feelings Leo had for the grey-haired beauty. Sure, Leo’s feelings may have been a little baser compared to the other boy’s, but Leo knew that the moment his eyes had locked onto those viridian-colored eyes, he knew that he felt something different--something else that he hadn’t felt with his other flings that he would hook up with just for a quick fuck. No, this was definitely different, but Leo couldn’t put his finger on it since it was a novel feeling to him. Still, though, his dick needed entertainment, and he was going to give it what it wanted one way or another. Fortunately, his cutie had just stepped out of the bathroom. Leo licked his lips, eager to taste those of his target. This was going to be one hell of a night...if all went according to plan.

Asta had just finished a grueling battle with his most formidable opponent that he encountered today. Yes, it seemed as if he was going to lose, but his “never give up” attitude helped him to turn the odds in his favor. He wasn’t going to lose to a giant turd that burned the walls of his asshole like the fiery pits of hell. Nevertheless, he knew that after he had claimed his victory that he wasn’t going to have another one of those purple snakes on a stick any time in the near future. He walked out of the bathroom, fixing his hair a little to make himself presentable to his new captain. When he rounded the corner to meet up with Yuno to bid farewell for the first time in forever, a pair of hands wrapped around his waist, halting him in his place. Asta froze like a statue and closed his eyes as a warm breath fell over his ears. This couldn’t be happening...not here...not now...not again.

“Hey, baby,” Leo said in a low, deep voice. He licked the shell of Asta’s ear and bit it playfully, earning him a whimper from the shorter grey-haired Magic Knight. Continuing his flirting, he said, “I loved watching you during the exam. Seeing you beating up that prick...it was so... _hot_.” He started grinding his erection in his pants over the smaller guy’s clothed ass--fuck it felt so good that Leo could’ve just come by continuing the action. He had never been this turned on in his entire life. He didn’t notice Asta was trembling underneath him. With a low growl, he continued, “But I didn’t like it when you didn’t take Brother’s offer...so let me show you what you’re missing out on so that-” His flirtations were interrupted when he felt a water-like liquid fall onto one of the hands he was using to hold Asta in place. 

“P-Please...M-Mr. S-S-Salik...st-stop,” Asta whimpered, holding his ears to block the words coming out of Leo’s mouth. Asta knew it wasn’t the man that had raped him, but the feeling of something that felt like an erection grinding on his ass made the terrible memories he had worked so hard to repress resurface at that moment. His tremors got worse as Revchi’s words began echoing in his head. He started crying, not caring if he was making a scene. “I-I-I’ll d-do any-anything y-y-y-you want...M-Mr. S-S-Salik...j-jus-just not this...p-p-please anything b-but this…”

“Hey, are you ok?” Leo whispered, his flirtatious tone replaced with concern. He let go of Asta’s waist. Immediately, Asta crumpled to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest and rocking himself. He was muttering something Leo couldn’t make out as he cried. Leo went to reach out a comforting hand when Asta yelped and suddenly, Leo was pinned to the nearest wall. He found himself lifted up slightly off the ground with Yuno’s unexpectedly strong forearm lodged over his throat, suffocating him.

Murderous intent in his eyes, Yuno growled and called up his grimoire. The wind began to pick up around him as he eyed the person that had been stalking Asta throughout the day. In the same tone that matched his eyes, he ordered, “Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn’t rip your heart out.” He strengthened the hold he had on Leo’s neck, causing him to start choking.

Struggling for air, Leo tried to say, “I...didn’t...do-”

“Liar! You were trying to take advantage of Asta, weren’t you?” Yuno growled. He brought his face closer to Leo’s to force him to look straight in the eyes.

Leo realized that when he had looked into those ruthless eyes that the raven-haired Magic Knight didn’t want Leo to answer. Yuno wanted Leo to give him a good reason to kill him, and that silence, in this case, was a perfectly good reason. Feeling as if he were going to pass out any second from oxygen deprivation, he did the only thing he thought would get him out of the situation. He head-butted Yuno’s face. It hurt like hell, but it was effective, causing the raven-haired boy to release his grip on Leo’s throat and stumble backwards to regain his bearings. This gave Leo enough time to fall forward onto one knee. Once he felt like he had enough oxygen, he stood up slowly and took out his grimoire. In a shaky breath because he still hadn’t fully recovered yet, he told Yuno, “I...didn’t...do...anything, dude. I...was just...trying to flirt with...him when that happened.” He pointed at the crying form of Asta, who seemed to be covering his ears. Thank goodness there were only a couple of people in this area and by the time Yuno had attacked him, most of them had run away.

It took a couple of seconds after that for Yuno to steady himself. He was still a little dizzy, but at least he was able to keep himself upright. He looked back at the cowering form of Asta, memories of _that_ day flashing back into his mind. Then, he remembered what he had told Father Orsi and Sister Lily about how Revchi was an exception to the many honorable Magic Knights that he was now a part of. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn’t like the fact that he remembered the last part because he really wanted to let his emotions take over--he really wanted to release all of his anger on this new guy. Still, his more reasonable side prevailed, and he let out a deep breath to say, “Alright, I’ll give you a chance to explain your-”

“Leo! Leo! Hey, do you remember me?” interjected a new person that was rushing toward Leo and Yuno. It looked like this person was oblivious to what was transpiring between the two.

Yuno didn’t know who it was, but at least now he knew the name of the guy that tried to flirt with his Asta--Leo. And if his memory served him right, he was Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion’s little brother, so he was Leo Vermillion.

Leo stiffened when he saw the examinee he had had a quickie with in the alley before the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam. This was not a good time. Really, any time was not a good time since he didn’t want to associate himself with the examinee, especially near someone that wanted to kill him. “Uhh...hi...uh..?”

The person had finally reached the two. He looked at the bewildered tall, raven-haired boy then at Leo, who was as equally bewildered. He blinked a few times, showing his confusion. Ultimately, he decided to turn to Leo and smiled warmly at him. “My name’s Samuel, Leo. Don’t you remember what we did in that alley before the exam?” he asked cluelessly. He rubbed his hand on his hips, causing both Yuno and Leo’s breathing to hitch. “It still hurts...” he started. He dragged his finger over Leo’s lips, down his neck, over his torso and abs, until he cupped his groin, causing Leo to hiss since he was still half-hard. He continued, but in a more sexual tone, “But I don't have a problem reminding you, _daddy_.”

 _How stupid are you?_ Leo thought. His face was still in shock but inside, he was freaking out. He was quick to compose himself in order to get Samuel out of here before he got hurt. Slapping the hand that was still grabbing his groin, he chided, “Now’s not the right time, Samuel.”

Samuel frowned at that. _What did I do?_ he wondered. Nevertheless, he listened to whatever Leo said and prepared to leave until he remembered he was holding the shirt Leo had used to wipe himself after their hot session. He shoved it into Leo’s chest and said, “Sadly, I didn’t make it into the Magic Knights this year...but don’t worry! I’ll make sure I’ll get in next year so we can continue our fun! This is a keepsake so that you can remember our time together that way you don’t get lonely.” He paused to see if Leo was listening. Leo seemed to be horrified by something since he was shifting his gaze between him, the shirt in his hand, the raven-haired boy, and “magic peasant 2.0”, who was weeping on the ground for some reason. Samuel being Samuel went in to plant a quick peck on the corner of Leo’s mouth since his mouth was still wide open in shock. Looking into Leo’s turquoise-colored eyes for what he hoped wouldn’t be the last time, Samuel said, “I’ve gotta go back home, Leo...write to me, will you? I love you!” With that, he turned on his heels and skipped back to where he came like a little kid, still completely oblivious to what was happening.

Leo was speechless. Once he saw Samuel disappear, he looked at the shirt. _Oh shit_ , Leo thought. He definitely recognized the shirt and the flaky white substance that covered the middle of it. Before he could turn to explain himself to Yuno, he was blown back by a gust of wind.

“You lying bastard! You unfaithful _whore_ ! You...you…” Yuno couldn’t finish his sentence. He was seething. The wind around him was picking up and scaring away any other bystander that dared to stay behind when everyone else had fled the scene. Flipping his grimoire to a blank page that had a new spell writing itself on it, he began to recite the new spell, “ **Wind Magic: Harpy’s Wailing Arrow**.” With that, the wind around him began to concentrate itself, taking the form of a bow and arrow. The arrow itself seemed to be screaming. Thinking that the spell could be operated as if it were a real bow and arrow, Yuno drew his arm back, causing the arrow to retract.

Leo’s eyes widened at the new spell. _Shit, shit, shit!_ Leo thought. Suddenly, his own grimoire flipped to a blank page and began to write a new spell on it. He looked up at Yuno, who seemed to be holding back for some reason. Leo seized this opportunity to talk some sense into him, “Look, man. Let’s talk this through. Let’s not get drastic or anything. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Yuno snorted. He shouted over the screaming arrow, “The only one getting hurt...is you!”

_Fine. If he won’t listen to me, then I’ll just have to beat some sense into him_ , thought Leo. He recited his new spell, “ **Fire Magic: Hell’s Breath**.” With that, a small flame appeared over Leo’s palm. Remembering what the spell said, he clapped both his hands over it and opened his fingers back up so that his thumbs and index fingers formed an “O” with the small flame at the center. All he needed to do was blow through the “O” in his target’s direction to cast the spell. He aimed it in Yuno’s direction.

Leo and Yuno were about to fire their respective spells until a lion’s paw made of fire extinguished Leo’s flame by consuming it in its own flames as if it was nothing, and a miniature blackhole swallowed up Yuno’s wind bow and arrow. The two captains said in unison, “That’s enough from you both.” 

The two just stood there, stunned by the respective captains that stood before them--Captain Fuegoleon with Leo and Captain Yami with Yuno. Yuno noticed that there were a pair of arms wrapped around Captain Yami’s neck, and a pair of legs wrapped around his waist. Yuno knew those arms and legs way too well, but it didn’t help that the person’s body was blocked by Captain Yami’s broad-shouldered body. Yuno tilted his head to see if he could confirm that it was his Asta. “Asta?” Yuno called. Instead of Asta’s head popping out first, it was an anti-bird’s that tilted its head at Yuno as well. A second later, Asta’s head popped from under Captain Yami’s shoulders.

“H-Hi, Yuno,” Asta said shyly before resting his head back in between Yami’s shoulder blades. Captain Yami, Finral, and Captain Fuegoleon had found him on the ground in his traumatized state when they were looking for him and Leo to pick them up. The two captains and Finral had noticed the little scuffle between Yuno and Leo and were about to intervene had it not been for that random teenage boy named Samuel, who seemed to be able to postpone whatever was happening between the two young Magic Knights. They took this chance to see if Asta was ok. Finral had tried to touch Asta but the moment his hand was about to touch Asta’s shoulder, Asta flinched away. Yami had scolded him for not being careful in his approach, so he tried his own. The next thing Asta knew, his tremors were calming as Yami stroked his grey hair. Finally, he decided to offer Asta a piggy-back ride, which the latter was originally reluctant to accept had it not been for the scuffle suddenly taking a nasty turn, forcing him to oblige. Surprisingly, Asta found it comforting, even now when Leo and Yuno were about to duke it out.

“Why are you riding Captain Yami?” Yuno asked, immediately blushing when he realized his poor choice of words. He cleared his throat and rephrased, “Why is Captain Yami giving you a piggy-back ride, Asta?”

“Now’s really not the time to ask such questions, Yuno,” said Fuegoleon, preventing Asta from voicing a response. He turned his head back to Leo. He then looked down at the shirt on Leo’s shoulder, noticing the dried-up semen on it. Leo knew where he was looking and tried to fold the shirt so that it had the stains. Fuegoleon whispered to Leo in a disappointed tone, “We’ll discuss this later, Leopold.” He noticed Leo grimace at the use of his full name, knowing that whenever Fuegoleon used it, it always involved their parents. Leo kept silent and nodded.

Yami took a long drag of his cigarette. He then answered Yuno’s question, “The little shrimp was acting up, so I decided to take matters into my own hands since you had your hands full with something more important.” He failed to notice Yuno wince. “Anyways, it’s getting late now, and I’ve gotta take a dump before I can get some peace and quiet.” 

Yami turned to Finral, who was staring off at something. His cheeks had a faint-rose tint on them that Yami could care less about (he really needed to take a dump). “Oi, Finral.” He snapped his fingers a couple of times in front of his face, snapping the dirty-blonde out of his trance.

Finral blinked twice and shook his head. He turned to Captain Yami and asked, “Y-Yes, Captain Yami?”

“Let’s get going, kid. I’m tired and constipated,” Yami said flatly.

_How does that even work?_ everyone else wondered, sweat-dropping. Finral opened up a portal that led back to their headquarters. Asta commented that it looked like a hole that had a bright-white rim and a cloudy center to which Yami busted out laughing, agreeing with him, and Finral cried crocodile tears.

Yuno was impressed but didn’t show as always, but he did say, “Cool.” This made Finral blush and grin sheepishly, thanking Yuno for giving him some praise. Finral waved everyone goodbye and gave a wink to Yuno, who reacted impassively but was a little surprised by the gesture. Before Yami stepped through, Yuno called for Asta, who turned around at the call of his name, hanging on to Yami’s neck with one arm. Yuno grabbed Asta’s nape and touched his forehead to his, making the shorter boy hum quietly. Yuno opened his eyes and smiled, indulging himself with those viridian-colored eyes for just one last time before they parted ways. “Take care, Asta.”

Asta kissed Yuno’s forehead, making the taller boy blush uncontrollably. Asta giggled and returned his free arm back around Yami’s neck. As they began to step through the portal, he waved back at Yuno and yelled, “I’ll see you when I see you, Yuno!” With that, the Captain of the Black Bulls and Yuno’s beloved stepped through, disappearing along with the spatial magic portal.

Yuno touched his forehead where Asta had kissed it and smiled. He felt like a kid again when Asta performed that endearing gesture. But this time, his happiness was only momentary when Captain William’s words returned to his mind, replacing the sweet memory with the desire for power. Yuno composed himself, gave Captain Fuegoleon a small farewell, ignoring Leo for obvious reasons, and headed off to where he was supposed to meet with his new squad.

As Yuno disappeared around the corner, Leo let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. He looked up at his older brother, who was giving him that look of dissatisfaction whenever he would find out about another one of his flings. “Look, Brother, I can exp-”

“Now’s not the time, Leo,” said Fuegoleon as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I cannot believe you went back on your promise to me to stop such outrageous behavior. I have no problem with you being in a relationship with anyone, but at least don’t be promiscuous.” He paused to look and see if any of his words were getting to his little brother. Surprisingly, it seemed as if they were because Leo looked like he was listening intently for once. He continued, “I’m serious, Leo. I’ve lost count of how many flings you’ve had in the past _week_ , and it’s getting annoying. I can’t keep covering for you.” He took a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was going to say. “That’s why I’ve decided that it’s best we let Mother and Father know of what’s happening before things get out of hand, especially with this new guy because it seems that he wants more than what you bargained for.”

Leo’s eyes went wide to the size of round saucers. Samuel wanted more? But didn’t they specifically agree that what they were going to do was just a one-time thing? Then, if it were even possible, Leo’s eyes went wider at the sudden realization that he would have to discuss the matter with Father and...Mother. Leo shuddered at the thought. He could handle his father because he was like his older brother--cool, calm, and collected. But his mother...Leo might as well bid his future goodbye because he would not be alive by the time their conversation was over. Leo tried to voice his concern, “But Brother, can’t we-”

“No, Leo. My mind is made up. We’re discussing this with Mother and Father first thing tomorrow,” Fuegoleon said flatly. With that, he turned for the Vermillion residence. He noticed that Leo hadn’t moved a centimeter from where he stood. Fuegoleon stopped and snorted, “You’re only delaying the inevitable, Leo. Let’s go before Mother doubles her wrath on you.” With that, the younger Vermillion jumped and ran to catch up with his older brother. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of the other rare pairing?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve just finished proofreading my rough draft, so expect daily submissions. I think if all goes well, I should have the entire work uploaded by around June 25.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Black Bulls’ Base_

_The moment Asta and Yami step through the portal_

“Alright, kid, it’s over now, so you can get off my back,” said Yami as he and Asta stepped through the other side of the portal. Asta didn’t budge. Instead, he clung to Yami harder, almost choking the captain. Obviously, it didn’t affect him much since his neck was as thick as the grey-haired boy’s head. Sighing, Yami (rather easily) pried Asta off his neck and held him by his wrists. Asta was definitely a fighter. He tried to kick and tug at his hands that were now above him, whimpering in defeat and going limp when he realized that none of his efforts had succeeded. Lifting Asta up to his eye level, Yami noticed the fear in his eyes, which was confirmed by Asta’s ki. He raised one eyebrow in curiosity. “The hell is wrong with you kid?” Asta didn’t answer. Yami then sensed Asta’s ki change again, telling him that the little grey-haired brat was about to cry. Deciding it was better to just let him be rather than make a scene on his first day--well, night--Yami put Asta down and gripped his head softly so that he wouldn’t be terrified by Yami’s actions and wouldn’t be able to make any moves as well. “Let’s make one thing clear: you don’t have to do anything you don’t feel like doing...for now.” This made Asta and Finral look at him in confusion. “I know you’re scared, but it isn’t the same type of fear that I can tell others have when it comes to being somewhere new. Yours is...different.” This made Asta tilt his head, more confused than ever. Yami sighed. “Look, it’s a gut-feeling--you don’t have to get it. I know you’re hiding something, and I can sense that you’re not comfortable with anyone here yet to disclose it. But I give you my word that you can trust everyone here. Ok?”

Asta didn’t know what to say. He could tell that his new captain was being genuine with his words because as he spoke, he looked extremely uncomfortable saying it, meaning that he didn’t say things like this much. As if Finral were wondering the same thing, Asta noticed the dirty-blonde wipe his eye and fake a sniffle.

“Captain Yami, I didn’t know you had such a swe-” Finral started, wiping his nonexistent snot from his nose.

Immediately, Yami’s aura grew dark. He grabbed Finral’s head with a mind-numbing grip and threatened, “Finish that sentence, and I’ll kill you.” What snapped Yami out of his menacing demeanor was Asta giggling. He glared at him, making him jump back. Letting go of Finral’s head, who began fixing his hair, Yami rubbed his temples and began to walk towards the hideout. “This is such a pain in the ass...come on, we’ve gotta introduce you to your new squadmates.” With that, Asta and Finral followed suit. Asta, like usual, clung tightly to Yami’s athletic shirt whereas Finral was pouting, grumbling something about threatening to kill him and not Asta even though he was the one that laughed at the captain.

As the trio made their way into the base, which looked like houses stacked on top of houses that didn’t seem to compliment each other in any way, Asta was met with a raucous bunch of adults that acted like a bunch of kids. One guy was using his fire creation magic to swing at balls with a bat--both made of fire. He looked like some sort of delinquent and acted like one too. He was aiming the fireballs at another guy--a blonde with messy hair, who was wearing boots made of lightning magic and laughing maniacally. Another person, this time a female with salmon-colored hair, who was way too underdressed for the occasion, lifted her head from one of the couches in the room, rubbing it and telling the other two guys to quiet down because she was hungover again. There was a dwarf-sized, black-haired girl that was sitting at a table, shoveling food into her mouth without even pausing for a breath. There was a dirty-blonde that was looking at the photo of what Asta guessed was his little sister, Marie, nose bleeding sort of like Yuno whenever Asta was doing certain things like talking to that albino lion cub. There was also another person, whom Asta could sense was using transformation magic to look like a heavy-set man with slicked black hair and glowing eyes. 

Asta could sense two other people’s mana in the house but didn’t bother because everything scared the living hell out of him. It especially didn’t help when a scary looking guy with black makeup around his eyes and black lipstick that contrasted his pasty-white skin appeared right beside him, startling the grey-haired boy and mumbling something that Asta could only make out as him being left behind back at the coliseum.

Yami, not knowing that Asta was cowering behind him, punched the wall behind him, destroying it. “I said shut up, you damn brats!” Everyone dropped what they were doing and kneeled before him like some king. “Like I was trying to say, welcome to the Black Bulls, Asta. Otherwise known as the worst squad in history.”

The blonde-haired guy raised his hand to ask a question. Yami nodded at him to allow him to speak. “Umm...Captain Yami, who are you talking to?” This got everyone else snickering.

“Hmm?” Yami started, “I was talking about one of the new recruits.” Everyone tilted their heads in confusion. He turned around when he felt somebody clutch at his athletic shirt, seeing it was Asta, trembling like the first time he had encountered him. Whispering now so that only Asta could hear, he said, “Come on now, kid. You gotta meet everyone at some point, so might as well make it easier on yourself and meet them all at once.”

With that said, Asta peered his head from behind Yami. He greeted everyone with a wave of his shaky hand before he went back to his hiding place.

“Oh my, he’s a shy one isn’t he?” stated the lady with the salmon-colored hair. _But I can tell he’s powerful_ , she thought.

The blonde licked his lips. Eyes wide with excitement, he said, “You’re pretty strong though! Can I fight you? Can I? Can I?”

Before anyone could speak up, Yami yelled, “Shut up!” This made everyone apologize, bowing their heads in shame. He looked at Finral, who was also doing the same as everyone else. “Finral, introductions. Now.”

Standing up and clearing his throat, he did as he and Captain Yami had discussed prior to finding Asta to head out to their base. He side-stepped the captain and approached Asta carefully, placing a hand on Asta’s head when he knew that the grey-haired boy wouldn’t flinch. Asta looked up at him curiously. Finral smiled warmly and for once that day, Asta returned it. Leaning closer so that no one else could hear their conversation, Finral asked, “Is it ok if I introduce you to everyone, Asta?” Asta took a moment to think about it before he smiled at Finral and nodded enthusiastically. Satisfied with how his approach worked out, Finral ruffled Asta’s hair, making the shorter boy grin. He grabbed Asta’s shoulder and tugged him close, Asta clutching onto the side of his shirt as tightly as he had with the captain. Everyone turned their attention to them now, Finral cleared his throat again and began to speak, “Everyone, this is one of our new recruits, Asta. He comes from Hage Village.”

“Hage Village? Ya came all the way from the boonies?” asked the delinquent. Asta turned at him then looked away, giving a slight nod.

“Oh! You asked the wrong question again, Magna,” said the blonde. He ignored the delinquent’s threats, focusing his attention on the cowering new recruit. “What kind of magic do you use, huh? I bet it’s strong! I wanna fight you! Can I fight you? Can I?”

Asta, not knowing that this was how the blonde always acted, clutched onto Finral’s shirt a little tighter and dug his face a little into it. Sensing his distress from his slight tremors, Finral rubbed his back reassuringly, letting him know that he didn’t have to fight him. He turned to the blonde and answered for Asta, “He uses light magic, but it’s a different form. It’s faster than the usual type of light magic.” This made everyone’s eyes widen in shock and made the blonde lick his lips, shaking with the desire to fight. Clearing his throat again--a habit he got used to since it seemed to always get everyone’s attention--Finral looked down at Asta, who looked up at him with fearful eyes, “I’ll introduce everyone to you now, ok?” He got the nod of approval from Asta. “Alright, let’s start with Magna Swing,” pointing at the delinquent, “He’s a bit of a hot-head, but he’s alright. Then we’ve got Luck Voltia,” pointing at the battle-hungry blonde, “he always wants to fight everyone, so don’t be scared, Asta, to turn him down. But just like Magna, he’s alright. Up next is Charmy Pappitson,” pointing at the dwarf-girl that was eating a cupcake, “she’s always eating, but she’s alright. Next is Vanessa Enoteca,” pointing at the now less-underdressed lady with salmon-colored hair, who blew a kiss towards Asta, making him blush, “she’s a bit of a flirt and a lot of an alcoholic, but she’s alright. Then comes Grey,” pointing at the heavy-set man in a transformation, who just blew out some steam, “...she’s alright. Then Gordon Agrippa,” pointing at the creepy dude with black makeup, mumbling something inaudible, “he’s always mumbling something, but he’s alright. Next is Gauche Adlai,” pointing at the anemic dirty-blonde, who shoved a picture of his little “angel” Marie in Asta’s face as if to make his problem any more obvious, “He’s got a bit of a sister-complex, but he’s alright. Finally, you’ve got me, Finral Roulacase,” pointing his thumb at himself, making Asta smile because it reminded him of himself, “I’m more than alright. I’m the cutest guy you’ll ever meet.”

“Lies,” everyone said flatly in unison. This made the dirty-blonde spatial magic user cry crocodile tears, making everyone burst out laughing. This served to ease Asta’s tension, who joined in on the group laughter.

Once the laughter had settled down, Magna spoke up, “Alright, alright. Asta, do ya know what this is?” he asked, holding out a half-cape with the Black Bulls’ insignia on the left chest side. Asta nodded and reached out to grab it only for Magna to pull the black, gold-embroidered cloth material back at the last possible second, earning a whine from the smaller boy. Magna wanted to see for his own eyes if the rumors were true about light magic’s powers, but he didn’t want to go about asking it the same way Luck did since it seemed like Asta was terrified of him at the moment. He grinned and said, “Ya gotta pass the initiation ritual first if ya want any of us to consider ya as a Black Bull.” Everyone’s eyes rolled at that.

Finral tugged Asta closer, not knowing this time how the grey-haired boy felt. “It’s ok, Asta. Like Captain Yami said, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to for now. If you don’t want to do the ritual, you don’t have to.” Normally, Finral would just let Magna do his thing but after what Captain Yami had told him about how Asta’s fear of men was more real than his chance at any girl, he became more cautious with Asta, big-brother mode activated. He didn’t expect Asta to turn and look up with him, determination evident in those green eyes, surprising Finral.

“I want that,” Asta said with all his fears gone, pointing at the half-cape that Magna was still teasingly holding in front of him, far enough from arm’s reach. “I’m gonna pass this ritual and become a Black Bull!” he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. This shocked everyone, including Captain Yami, because these were the first words spoken by the grey-haired recruit since he first stepped foot in the base.

Smiling at the thought of watching someone get beat up by the kid again, Yami took a long drag of his cigarette and laughed, “Alright, looks like it’s settled. But like hell, I’m gonna let you two do this in here.” With that, he turned to walk out the hole he had made earlier, the rest of the team following behind.

Once they made it to a spot outside that Yami had deemed “far enough”, Asta and Magna proceeded ahead of the group, veering off to their respective sides, and faced each other. Everyone was switching their gaze between a smirking Magna and a straight-faced Asta, waiting to see who would make the first move. Finral was holding his breath. He thought he had finally found someone he could shower all the pent-up love he had for his little brother, Langris, so this upcoming battle was making him more worried than he usually was. 

Both mages took out their respective grimoires and went into a fighting stance. “ **Fire Magic: Exploding Fireball** ,” said Magna. With that, a large flame of mana appeared in Magna’s hand. He cupped it and reformed its shape into a smaller ball of flame. As he held it, he spoke, “Rules are simple, kid. All ya gotta do is not let this fireball hit ya, using whatever means ya want. If it hits ya, then I can’t give this robe to ya.” He held up the Black Bulls’ half-cape from earlier with his other hand, making sure Asta got a good look at it before he tossed it at Luck, who caught it easily. “Ready, kid?” He got a nod from Asta, signaling him to go ahead. Magna wound up and threw the ball with as much force as he could.

Knowing that his magic had come back to him gave Asta a flashback to what happened when he had faced that drunkard to save Yuno seven years ago. At this moment, he finally understood why time seemed to slow down for him--light magic dominated with absolute speed above all other magical attributes, elemental and non-elemental. But this time, it felt like the effect on his senses were more powerful--everything seemed to be moving slower, and he could see, hear, and feel everything to a greater extent than before. It was weird...but kind of cool. Asta knew he could easily dodge the incoming fireball--he just needed to step to the right. But Asta being Asta did the least likely thing that anyone would expect. He did the only thing that he always would do--the unthinkable. He took out his pitch-black greatsword and used the flat of the blade as a bat, sending the fireball back to its caster. He realized he had made a mistake--by sending it back, he would harm his own squadmate. In a flash, he appeared before Magna before the ball could hit him, and he hit the fireball towards the ground. Before it could hit the ground and explode, Asta pushed Magna towards the members of the squad and was surprised to see that Captain Yami had been able to keep up with his movements, smiling straight at Asta while everyone else’s heads were turned to where Asta had been what felt like minutes ago but was really only 1.5 seconds earlier. Yami nodded at Asta, who smiled back in return, before catching Magna in his arms. Time finally seemed to speed back up to normal after Asta planted his greatsword into the ground to protect his small frame from the explosion.

By the time the explosion had settled, everyone’s jaw (except Yami’s) would have dropped to the ground had it not been for the muscles that kept the bone suspended. No one knew what just happened but Yami and Asta. Yami laughed heartily and pronounced, “So the rumors are true!” Everyone’s heads snapped towards him, looking for an explanation. He looked blankly at them and asked, “What?”

The squadmates looked at each other to communicate their exasperation with their captain’s absent-mindedness. In unison, they asked, “What rumors!?”

Captain Yami took a long drag from his cigarette then turned to Asta. He asked, “Do you wanna explain, or do you want me to explain, kid?” He should’ve known the answer when Asta averted his gaze. He then looked at his other subordinates and said flatly, “Asta’s got dual-affinity.”At that, everyone’s jaw dropped again.

Then they turned to Asta, asking for confirmation. Asta shrugged and said innocently, “You guys never asked,” before putting the pitch-black greatsword back in his grimoire.

Finral was the first to speak up. “I guess that only means one thing,” he snorted, taking the Black Bulls’ half-cape from Luck, who gave it willingly, knowing what he was about to do. He walked over to Asta, who was not at all scared of Finral anymore and was beaming with pride. Finral put the half-cape over Asta’s head and smoothened out any wrinkles before smiling down at Asta, who was giving him a toothy grin. Finral was so proud of the little shrimp like a big brother would be whenever his little brother would do good. Figuring he could go over the top just this once, he copied what he had seen Yuno do with Asta during the intermission before the last test of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam. He grabbed Asta by the nape and pressed his forehead to his. Both guys closed their eyes at the contact, automatically creating a brotherly bond that Asta had shared with only one other person until that moment. It was uncalled for on Finral’s part, but something just told Finral the moment he had seen Asta sprawled on the pavement, trembling, that he should treat the grey-haired boy the same way that he should’ve treated Langris when they were still together. For some reason, it felt like fate was giving Finral another chance at being a big brother, and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity go.

Asta felt his fears leave him momentarily as he felt Finral’s forehead on his. Everything he did with the gesture felt so much like Yuno: from the way he gently tapped their skulls together to how he gripped his nape--light but firm enough to make him feel secure. When he opened his eyes, he looked into Finral’s purple eyes and saw the same feelings he saw with Yuno’s amber-colored eyes--love. He hugged Finral, burying his face into his shirt. Finral returned the hug but a little tighter. He looked back up at Finral, who was glancing down at him as well with those loving eyes. “Thank y-” was all he could remember before he blacked out.

Luckily, Finral had still been holding him when Asta’s knees gave away, collapsing in Finral’s arms. For someone so muscular, Asta was surprisingly light. If anything, Finral would have guessed that his strength was from the sudden adrenaline rush he got the moment Asta fainted. Shaking Asta, Finral called, “Asta? Asta? Are you ok?” Was he hurt? Did Finral do something wrong? Did Magna overdo it? So many thoughts were running through his head until Yami’s beefy hand clasped the back of his shoulder. Finral looked up at Yami, who was...grinning?

“He’s just tired, Finral. Hell, I would be tired too with the stunt the little shrimp tried to pull earlier today,” said Yami. It seemed to help Finral relax, tension leaving his shoulders. _Still...to think this kid has so much power to pull off a mana zone attack that required the most powerful mage in Clover to stop it, and he’s a dual-affinity magic user, too. Just what other tricks does this kid have up his sleeve?_ thought Yami, shaking the thought off as quickly as it had come to mind. The kid needed some rest and if Yami’s gut-feeling was correct, Asta needed some time to get comfortable with all his new squadmates, especially the men, before Yami could give him any kind of co-op mission. “Come on, Finral. Let’s get him to his room so he can rest.”

“Is it ok if I stay with him for a couple of nights?” Finral asked as he stroked Asta’s hair the same way he had seen Yuno do it.

Yami was taken aback by Finral’s kindness. He always knew the spatial mage was trying to find someone that he could treat as he wished he could have treated his half-brother Langris, but he didn’t expect for that person to be someone Finral had just met less than twenty-four hours ago. Rubbing the back of his head, he shrugged and answered, “Sure, I guess. As long as he doesn’t slam you into next Tuesday, then by all means, go for it.” With that, he turned to head back into the base.

_That doesn’t help at all, Captain Yami_ , thought Finral as he cried crocodile tears. He suddenly felt Asta snuggle his head closer to his chest and breathe out a sigh, appearing as if he were having a peaceful slumber. Finral smiled at the thought and picked Asta up bridal-style, who was actually lighter than he expected. It was either Asta’s build just failed to give away his actual weight or Finral was just getting buff--he leaned towards the former. As he carried his new little brother towards his new room, Finral was immediately bombarded by questions left and right from his squadmates.

“Isn’t dual-affinity magic next to impossible?” asked Magna.

“Obviously not,” Finral answered, glancing down at Asta’s sleeping form. _So cute_ , thought Finral.

“When can we go shopping so I can get Asta out of those dreadful clothes?” asked Vanessa, who was already taking out a tape measure from her...bra? She started to take measurements of Asta arm before Finral moved Asta’s body away from her, earning a pout from the pink-haired witch.

“Since Asta is getting some sleep, can I go visit my angel Marie for the next month?” asked Gauche.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to the mirror magic user. “No,” they answered in unison.

“Do you think I can fight him when he wakes up? Can I? Please?” asked Luck, laughing light-heartedly.

Just like with Gauche, everyone turned to him and said in unison, “No.”

“Can I give him some food when he wakes up?” asked Charmy, who was eating her umpteenth cupcake of the night.

“N- wait, that’s actually not a bad idea,” answered Finral. Finally, someone with some common sense. Asta was probably really hungry, too, now that Finral thought about it. What kind of big brother would he be if he didn’t let his grey-haired little brother splurge on Charmy’s delicious cotton cooking magic? They had finally arrived in front of Asta’s room, to Finral’s relief. Before he could even open the door, he was interrupted by a new mana from who Finral would’ve guessed was the other recruit. Sighing, he turned around with Asta still curled up in his arms.

“And where’s my room?” asked the new recruit haughtily. She turned her nose up and crossed her arms for good measure. She had silver hair that was tied back into pigtails and purple eyes that were a lighter color than Finral’s.

Magna was the first one to speak up, “Who the hell are ya?”

“Hmph,” said the new girl, flipping her hair back in disgust. “I’ll have you know that my status as a royal doesn’t require me to acknowledge the likes of a peasant like you.”

“What was that, brat!?” Magna said, waving a fist at her. He was about to pounce on her had it not been for Vanessa holding him back and calling him a virgin delinquent that served to distract him.

Finral was just tired of the antics already. Normally, he could put up with it, being around his squadmates for quite some time now, but the thought of Asta not getting a comfortable sleep stressed him out. Sighing he said, “Guys, let’s just ask the new lady politely now, alright?” He turned towards the silver-haired girl and asked as polite as he could, “What’s your name, my lady?”

Blushing at the title, Noelle flipped her hair again and stuttered, “M-My name is Noelle Silva. At least someone has some manners around here, but I still won’t talk to any of you because I’m royalty..” This earned a frustrated groan from everyone in the hallway. “I’d like to be shown my room now,” she added.

Rather than letting this drag on any longer, Finral said, “I’m sure Vanessa or Charmy would be more than willing to escort you to your room, _Noelle_.” He summoned as much charm as he could and winked at the silver-haired royal, making her blush deepen.

Before she could answer, Vanessa and Charmy hooked their arms around Noelle’s and began walking her towards her room. Finral didn’t know what the girls were discussing as they were headed down the doorway, but he noticed that Noelle’s blush got even deeper, if that were even possible. Shaking his head, he turned back to the door and stepped inside, not wanting to listen to anymore bickering for at least that night. He laid Asta gently onto the bed and tucked him in under the sheets. Since the squadmates’ bedrooms were practically the same layout--barren and cramped except for a small desk, a chair, and bed with two pillows--Finral was going to settle for the floor, but Asta’s hand tugged at his shirt.

“Don’t...leave me...please,” Asta mumbled in his sleep. His peaceful slumber was now replaced by what Finral guessed was a nightmare with Asta’s face scrunched up and frowning.

Sighing, he stroked Asta’s hair, which seemed to calm him down. Finral made a mental note of that. He laid down next to Asta, who snuggled closer to him, seeming to ask for a hug. Finral obliged, and Asta let out a sigh of relief, facial features appearing to relax at the touch. “It’s ok, Asta. I’m here now. Big Brother Finral’s not going to let whatever nightmares bother you.”

“Fin...ral…” Asta mumbled as he snuggled up closer. That night, Asta didn’t have any nightmares like he did whenever Yuno wasn’t around. Asta slept comfortably that night in another big brother’s arms. Maybe being away from Yuno wouldn’t be so bad after all…

_Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room_

_Around the same time that Asta was soundly asleep_

Yuno looked up at the ceiling of his new room. The room was extravagant to say the least, decorated top and bottom with intricate designs that symbolized the Golden Dawn squad’s status as the best squad out of all the Magic Knights. It was so fancy that it disgusted Yuno. Any other person would have killed to get to sleep at least one night in this kind of a room that was like all the others in the gigantic establishment that was called his headquarters. On the contrary, Yuno just felt like some little kid all alone and stuck in a foreign land with foreign sights and foreign smells. None of it felt like the simplicity of his home back in Hage. 

The only thing, or person that is, that probably brought him any form of comfort was the new recruit that Yuno had met earlier that night. She was a shy girl that reminded Yuno of him when he was younger. She was beautiful and kind, reminding him of a certain someone that Yuno tried really hard not to think about. Her name was Mimosa Vermillion, which immediately rang alarm bells in his head. Thankfully, she reassured him that Leopold, which was apparently Leo’s full name, was her cousin and that her branch family was close but not close enough that Mimosa and Leo could hang out or anything outside of occasional family dinners. Yuno could tell that Mimosa meant no harm unlike her cousin, so he decided to give her some of his trust.

  
Yuno was tossing and turning in his bed, trying to find any position that would give him some ounce of sleep. Couple this with the voices of Revchi, Sister Lily, and Captain William playing in his head, and Yuno was anything but ready for sleep. Was Revchi right? Was there really no such thing as faith, hope, or love? No, of course not, because Sister Lily had told him that it was alright for him to love Asta in a way other than a brother would and try to woo him so long as he didn’t dabble too much with unrequited love. Still, Captain William’s words echoed louder than the others’. If Yuno wanted any chance at protecting Asta and getting him to love him, then it only made sense (to him at least) to cut him off for now so that he could get stronger, catch up to him, then surpass him so that Asta wouldn’t have to worry about becoming Wizard King because Yuno would be that for the both of them. That way, Asta could just rule by his side until they died happily ever after. It made sense. It made perfect sense. But why did it feel so wrong? In fact, what would Asta think? What would Asta _do_? What was Asta doing right now? Was he in the same situation as Yuno--sleepless and unable to stop his th- No. Yuno needed to stop. If he was going to cut Asta off, then he needed to cut off any thoughts of him as well. That night, Yuno resolved himself to get to the top alone, pulling Asta behind him rather than being pulled. But that night as well, he slept alone for the first time in his life--no Asta to cuddle with him. That night, he released the thoughts that Asta had been able to keep him from thinking from their cell. That night, the pool of envy and pure hatred grew a little bigger in his heart that screamed only one name--Asta.


	14. Chapter 14

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Leo’s Room_

_The next morning_

“As...ta…” Leo moaned as he stroked his member harder. He was so turned on, not knowing what had gotten over him. He was never like this with any other person before...so why now? Why with this guy? What about him made Leo so thirsty to ravish him multiple times in bed only to continue everywhere else in the room and even the entire residence? What the hell was wrong with Leo? He stroked his dick faster, feeling his orgasm coming, but the thoughts of Asta in bed with him came crashing down when they were replaced with what happened last night. As if his body knew what he was doing right now was wrong, the sensation of orgasm drifted away, leaving Leo again with another unsatisfied masturbation session. He had been at it all night, actually, each time ending the same way--the sight of Asta on the pavement, trembling like somebody had done something horrible to him. Just what happened to him? And why did Leo care so much about someone he just wanted to have a casual sexual relationship with?

Before he could entertain those thoughts any longer, a knock at his door snapped him out of it. “Who is it?” Leo said, putting his underwear and pants back on and getting dressed for his funeral.

A deep, rugged voice answered, “It’s Randall, Lord Leopold.” Immediately, the door swung open, revealing his subordinate but young master, who looked like he didn’t get any sleep last night. Checking to see if he looked proper enough for his meeting with his parents, he gave him a once over but averted his gaze when he saw the bulge in his pants. He was at it again? Leo didn’t understand, tilting his head in confusion. Coughing into his hand while still maintaining no eye contact, Randall said, “Lord Leopold, you seem to have a...situation...in your nether regions…”

Leo gave his vice-captain a half-smile and turned around to fix the tent in his pants so that it no longer showed. Once his “situation” was fixed, he turned back around and looked up at Randall. “You know, Randall, you don’t have to call me Lord Leopold. I am your subordinate after all. In fact, I should be calling you Vice-Captain Randall if we’re being official here.”

Randall gave him a light chuckle and ruffled his hair, getting it smacked by the shorter boy. “Feisty as always, Lord Leopold. But unfortunately, rules are rules. I can only refer to you as my subordinate when we’re around the squad. Anywhere else and I’ve got to address you with the respect your royal status commands.”

“Lame,” Leo huffed. It didn’t help that he was right, though. He understood why Randall had to do it. It was really his fault if anybody were to ask. Scandal after scandal between Leo and another lowly commoner would have ruined his family’s good name had it not been for the simple fact that Leo was royalty and a member of one of the most prestigious squads of all the Magic Knights. 

“Do we really have to do this? Can’t we do this somewhere more...I don’t know...secluded?” asked Leo. He knew he had to face his parents for what had happened last night, but he would’ve preferred it be somewhere other than the residence, which also served to be the Crimson Lion Kings’ headquarters. He didn’t want any of the new recruits to hear what his parents would have to say when they told him off. He especially did not want anyone to see his mother’s wrath.

Sensing his young master’s apprehension, Randall placed his hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Lord Leopold. Captain Fuegoleon has already made accommodations so that you could discuss matters with your family in privacy.”

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate_

Leo relaxed at that. He looked around and noticed what Randall was talking about. Now that he listened and looked more closely, he noticed that the Crimson Lion Kings were nowhere to be seen or heard--two things that rarely ever happened. He sighed, a little relieved. “Let’s get going then, I guess.” With that, the two made their way through the ornate hallways that made up the Vermillion Estate into the dining room that was just as fancy and enormous as all the other rooms in the household. Randall took his leave to go on a mission like all the other members of the Crimson Lion Kings, giving Leo a pat on the back to tell him that he wished him luck and that he would pray that his life be spared.

Leo took a deep breath and stepped through the door to the dining room...only to receive a right uppercut from what he guessed was his mother, sending him back out from which he entered. Before he could regain his bearings, his mother’s claw for a hand, which had a stronger grip than Fuegoleon or Mereleona’s fire lion paw grabbed his head and lifted him. Leo knew better than to fight it. As he was being carried back into the dining room, he looked back at where he had landed--the impact had broken a vase of flowers and the table on which it was perched. _Looks like that’s coming out of my pay again_ , thought Leo. His mother sat him down at the table designated for the main family whenever they would have family dinners with the Silvas or Kira Clovers or any noble family for that matter.

As Marisol rounded the table to take her seat right next to her husband, Leonard, she shot a glare at her son Leo, who was trying to start eating his breakfast so that he didn’t have to speak. Leo felt her glare on him and dropped the fork that he was going to use to pick the piece of chicken from his plate. Satisfied with his reaction, she crossed her arms and pinched the bridge of her nose before she said, “Speak, Leo.”

Before Leo could speak, however, Leonard, who was busy reading the morning paper, acting as if this occurred on a daily basis (which it did for the most part) interjected, “Marisol, dear, I think it’s best that Leo eat something first. It seems whatever this thing is has been clearly bothering him.” He glanced at his son--he wore everything properly just like he was told, but the bags under his eyes told him things were anything other than alright. Leonard gave him a nod before Leo started attacking his plate as if he hadn’t eaten in days, foregoing any etiquette his tutors had tirelessly taught him.

Once he was finished with his plate, Leo wiped his mouth with the napkin that was on his lap. He decided that if he was going to die today, he would at least die honorably by telling them bravely of what he had been doing. So, he cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. All eyes--Leonard’s, Marisol’s, and Fuegoleon’s--were on him. “I hooked up with a Magic Knights’ examinee named Samuel yesterday.’ With that, Fuegoleon gave him a smile of approval for getting straight to the point for once, slightly easing Leo’s tension.

Meanwhile, his father just sighed and returned to reading his paper, murmuring, “Boys will be boys.” He understood the need for sexual release, especially with Leo since he could tell from a young age that he would have this kind of a problem when he hit his teens. Still, he, like any good father, didn’t approve of his promiscuity, receiving letters from multiple partners every single day as he checked his own mail. Nevertheless, he thought that Marisol could handle this situation.

Unfortunately, his mother’s reaction wasn’t quite as...tame as his father’s. She stabbed at her plate using her fork, splitting the plate in half and making Leo (and to a lesser extent, Fuegoleon) jump back in his seat. _Calm down, Marisol. Don’t strangle him, don’t kill him. Filicide is not the way to go_ , she reminded herself, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Explain yourself, Leo.”

“I’ve been having affairs with multiple guys for the past two years, Mot-ow, ow, ow,” Leo said as he was hastily cut off by his mother who reached across the table with blinding speed, gripping Leo’s face with more force than earlier. It took both Leonard and Fuegoleon to take her down and have her sit back in her chair. Once she was seated, she was still fuming, tapping her foot to release up the anger she felt towards her son. Leo checked to see if he still had any skin left on his face before he continued, “I don’t expect you to forgive me, Mother. But I want to let everyone know at this table that I plan to stop immediately.”

Fuegoleon snorted, clearly amused at his brother’s declaration. “And how can we believe you?”

“I don’t expect you to, but all I can say is that guy from last night changed me. Not Samuel--hell no. But that one grey-haired guy that Captain Yami was carrying on his back. You remember, right, Brother?” he asked, turning to Fuegoleon, who gave him a nod.

“I do, indeed, he’s one very powerful mage if I do say so myself,” admitted Fuegoleon. He, like all the captains, were shocked at his demonstration of power, going as far as using mana zone, which was something that required precise concentration and years’ worth of training to master even the basics. Yet, this young man used it like it was nothing.

Mereleona slammed her hand on the table, not noticing that she had packed some mana into the hit, causing part of the dining table to break and fall apart.

“That’s the third one this month, Marisol,” sighed Leonard.

“Shut up, Leonard, I’ll pay for it!” the female Vermillion retorted almost immediately. She turned her attention back to Leo, whose brows were furrowed in confusion. The moment she heard “grey-haired guy”, she immediately thought of only one patient she had treated not too long ago. “Leo, describe this ‘grey-haired guy’ this instant.”

Leo blushed. His mother wanted to describe him? Surely she meant a description that would be enough to identify a person, right? She didn’t mean like how Asta’s ass would jiggle whenever he ran or how his cheeks would puff up whenever he pouted or how his clothes hugged his body in all the right places?

Marisol was able to read Leo’s mind from his reaction. She smacked his cheek, knocking him off his chair. “I didn’t mean like that, Leopold! Just give me a physical description so I can confirm my suspicions!”

“What sus..?” started Fuegoleon, before receiving a cold glare from his mother. He knew that that glare was her “shut up or I’ll kill you” glare, so he immediately shut his mouth.

She looked back at Leo, who was rubbing his cheek where she had hit him, sitting himself back up on his chair. “Leo. Grey-haired guy. Explain. Now,” she ordered.

“R-Right,” stuttered Leo, taking a moment to compose himself. “Other than his grey hair, he’s short in stature, but he has a lean, muscular build. He’s also got these viridian-colored eyes that you could get lost in all day, staring at them. He’s also got a light magic attribute, but it seemed faster and felt more powerful than what the rumors claim them to be. Oh, and he’s got this stupid black-haired pretty-boy bodyguard that gets all handsy with him. Like, seriously? Why do you have to massage the guy’s hips?” Leo pouted, crossing his arms on his chest. He immediately blushed again when he came up with a possible explanation to why he always needed his hips massaged. _Could those two be...No, not a chance_ , thought Leo. He then noticed that his mother, along with the entire table, fell silent as if there was some unspoken secret that was about to be revealed. His mother looked like she had seen a ghost. Concerned, Leo asked, “Is there something wrong, Mother?”

For the second time in her life, Marisol lost her tough demeanor, a large wave of sorrow coming over her like a tidal wave. Leonard and Fuegoleon, knowing what was wrong, came to her side to comfort her--Leonard grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently while Fuegoleon knelt on the other side, rubbing her back. The two men chided themselves for not realizing sooner when Leo mentioned a grey-haired guy. Fuegoleon was particularly harsh with himself, looking away from his mother, because he didn’t realize that that grey-haired guy was _the_ grey-haired guy. In a shaky breath, she asked, “L-Leo...what was this boy’s name?”

Leo blinked a couple of times to try to process what was happening before he answered, “Uhh...Asta. Why?”

Immediately, Marisol whimpered, holding back a sob. She covered her mouth to hide her quivering lips. Leonard bent down and tugged her close, rubbing her shoulder to ease her emotional distress. After calming down in her husband’s touch, she turned to Leo and said quietly, “You take care of that boy, Leo. Do you hear me? If I found out you did so much as touch him the wrong way, I’ll gladly go to jail for murder.”

Leo grimaced at the threat. What got his mother so worked up about Asta? Curious he asked, “Mother, do you have a connection with this guy?”

Marisol nodded. “I do...But I’m not in the position to disclose any information. Only Asta can tell you that.” She had already said too much. When she had gotten home a couple of days later since the night of the miscarriage, she cried into Leonard’s arms. Once she had calmed down, she recounted to her husband everything that had happened, disregarding patient-healer privacy because she could trust Leonard. It just so happened that Fuegoleon walked in at the same time, forcing Marisol to explain why she looked like she had just lost her first patient--which she did. That unnamed child was her first recorded death as a Magic Knight healer, a heavy weight of failure falling down on her shoulders after the miscarriage. She studied until she dropped ever since that day, swearing that she will never let such a thing happen ever again.

Leo didn’t know what to say. What information was so sensitive that Marisol didn’t even trust her own son with the information? Granted, Leo was a loud-mouth, but he could keep a secret. Leo sighed and muttered, “That’s not going to happen unfortunately.”

Marisol’s ears perked up at the statement. Leaning forward, she asked, “And what’s that supposed to mean, young man? Don’t spare a single detail.”

Leo grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Well...you...I…” Marisol jabbed at him, making him flinch. “Ok, ok, Mother. Geez. I tried to flirt with him by grinding my...nether regions on his...behind, making him freak out or something and start trembling on the pavement. I tried to see if he was ok, but I was attacked by his bodyguard or foster-brother or whatever.” This had both men that were comforting Marisol faint, quickly regaining their composure to stop Marisol from grabbing and lifting Leo by the shirt collar but to no avail. Leo saw the same look he saw in Yuno’s eyes in his mother’s--murderous intent.

Marisol was livid. She could not believe her own son would do something to such an innocent boy that was abused by a treacherous monster. The whimper from her son only made the grip on his collar tighten even more. “Why would you do such a thing to that sweet boy?” she asked with as much venom in her voice.

“M-Mother, p-please, I didn’t mean to do it,” Leo answered pleadingly. His mother didn’t seem to like the answer so he just said everything that came to mind in hopes that one thing would placate her. “I-It’s different with him, M-Mother. H-He makes me feel this weird feeling in my chest that I’ve never felt with a-any of my other affairs. He m-makes me want to do m-more than h-have sex. Everytime I locked onto his e-eyes, I c-can’t help but f-feel the need to c-care for him, to p-protect h-him from anything that m-might harm him. I d-don’t understand, M-Mother, w-why one person m-makes me feel a-all the g-guilt I should’ve felt when I was hooking up with all of those p-people. B-But I don’t w-want to be w-with anyone e-else b-but him.” This seemed to calm his mother down to at least let go and stand on his own two feet.

Marisol knew what his Leo was feeling. She pinched the bridge of her nose, stifling a laugh. She turned back to Fuegoleon and Leonard, who were both smiling knowingly. She turned back to Leo and fixed his clothes for him, her son giving her a look of bewilderment. Patting his shoulders she said, “Well, Leo, it looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“W-What do you mean?” asked Leo.

This time, his father spoke up, “She means that you need to get Asta to...talk to you.”

Leo turned to his father and asked, “And how am I supposed to do that? Last time I checked, he was terrified of me...”

“Isn’t it obvious, Leo?” Fuegoleon said. He looked at Leo, who still didn’t know the answer. “Just become his friend...for now.” He chuckled, along with the two other adults.

_For now? What does he mean by that?_ wondered Leo. Before he could ask his question, however, his mother grabbed him by the back of his Crimson Lion Kings robe and threw him out of the window--another part of the house that he would have to pay for. Once he landed outside, to some of the guards’ shock, he got the message that the three adults meant go find him _now_. So he called up his broom, hopped on, and headed for the Black Bulls’ base.

“And don’t come back until he wants to have dinner with the family!” yelled Marisol as he waved his son off. She sighed, smiling as she crossed her arms on her chest. “Leo’s in-love, isn’t he?”

“Leo is definitely in-love,” agreed Leonard.

“Leo is stupidly in-love,” agreed Fuegoleon.

“He better not fuck this up, or I’ll kill him,” Marisol said, cracking her knuckles, making the two men back up.

“Mother, your language,” reminded Fuegoleon.

“Yes, dear. Please don’t actually kill him,” added Leonard.

“Shut up both of you and clean this mess up,” she ordered. With that, she walked off to adjust her schedule so that she could meet up personally with Asta sometime this week.

_But you made this mess!_ thought the two men, crying crocodile tears.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Asta’s Room_

_Morning_

Asta woke up to someone stroking his hair. He would’ve fallen back asleep like that had it not been for the sunlight in his eyes. He looked up from his position to see that it was none other than Finral. Remembering what had happened last night, Asta smiled up at him and greeted, “Good morning, Big Bro Finral.”

Finral paused, stunned by the new nickname. However, it didn’t take him long to like it. He beamed and said, “Good morning, Asta.”

Asta stretched and yawned, ready for the big day--his first day as a Magic Knight. He got up and did his morning stretches. He remembered having a nightmare but it went away almost as fast as it had come. He probably had Finral to thank for that since he decided to stay in this cramped bedroom with him. As Finral got up to put on his shoes, Asta attacked him with a hug, bringing the two back down on the bed. The two laughed for a little bit before Asta gave him another hug. “Thanks for staying, Big Bro.”

Finral snorted. “Like I’d ever leave you, kiddo.”

Asta sat back up. He looked around at the small, simple, single-bed room. It wasn’t too much but it was already a lot compared to the orphans’ room back in Hage. The bed was new for starters--he had never slept in something so fluffy in his life. “Are all the rooms like this?” he wondered aloud.

“Yes and no,” answered Finral, earning him a curious glance from Asta. “Let me explain. So this building itself is magical. That means that it always shifts the rooms and structure of the building around. It happens at random times, too, so it helps when you’ve got a spatial magic user like me, who can teleport people and things around to places I’ve seen,” he beamed.

“Does that mean you have your own room?” asked Asta, fear of being left alone starting to make its way back up the hole it fell in last night.

_Hmm, if this is what I think it is..._ thought Finral. He wrapped his arm around Asta’s shoulder, who leaned into his. _I knew it_. “Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ll ask Captain Yami if we can make arrangements so that we can sleep in the same room.”

Asta was a little surprised by Finral’s ability to read his emotions but was grateful nonetheless. He gave Finral another hug, and said, “Thank you.”

“No problem, kiddo. I know you’re scared about meeting all those guys, but trust me on this ok? They’re all good people once you get to know them,” Finral said confidently.

“Ok, I trust you, Big Bro,” said Asta. He really did. He knew he could trust this person that he had just met for the first time in his life twenty-four hours ago--he knew it with all his heart.

_“Big Bro”...I’m really liking it_ , Finral thought. Standing up, he said, “Alright, it’s time for breakfast. I don’t know what you eat out in Hage, but here we feast like kings...thanks to Charmy’s cotton cooking magic.” He saw Asta light up at the mention of food, making Finral suspect that he really hadn’t eaten that much yesterday. Finral opened a portal that led to the dining room and stepped through, Asta following close behind. 

When they stepped through, Finral was grabbed by Captain Yami, startling both him and Asta, who already had his pitch-black greatsword brandished. He stood down the moment he saw who it was. “Please don’t do that, Captain Yami! You scared the living daylights out of us!” yelped Asta.

Yami picked at one of his ears with his pinky. “You’re awfully loud today, kid. Don’t tell me you’re always like this.”

“And what if I am?” Asta retorted as he put the greatsword back in his grimoire and crossed his arms on his chest.

Yami chuckled loudly. “I like you already, kid! You’ve got spunk!” Yami exclaimed, giving Asta a pat on the head, who grinned his signature grin and gave him a thumbs-up. “Anyways, I gotta talk to Finral first. Do you wanna stay while we talk, or do you wanna try and make some new friends unlike this weirdo who has no chance at getting a girl?” he asked, pointing at Finral, who was crying crocodile tears, offended by his captain’s bluntness.

Asta paused for a moment. He looked at Yami, then he looked at Finral, who gave him an encouraging smile. Smiling back, Asta nodded and headed into the dining room by himself.

Once he could sense Asta’s ki was less terrified and more curious, Yami relaxed and turned around to Finral, who was bewildered. “The hell’s wrong with you now?”

“You’re so nice to Asta...I’ve never seen this side of you, Captain Yami,” stated Finral smugly.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Yami.

“Well...first you give him a piggy-back ride, then you let him have a choice of what he wants to d-” Finral started.

“You got a problem with that? Do you want me to kill you?” asked Yami menacingly, cutting off his dirty-blonde subordinate.

“N-N-N-N-N-No,” stuttered Finral, waving his arms in front of him placatingly.

Yami pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn’t have time for this. He had his reasons--the order to take care of Asta as if he were his own child was given to him by Julius, who had no respect for privacy, popping up outside of the bathroom stall in the coliseum while he was taking a dump after a long day of spectating. Yami wanted to question the Wizard King’s motives for interfering with how he treated his subordinates since he never had a problem with his methods until Asta, but his vague answer of trusting Asta to tell him in due time was all Yami needed to follow through with the order. Now, he was going to try to follow through with the second part of the order. “Look, I’ve got my reasons, alright, Finral? I want him to ease into things, but I don’t want him to slack off either, so I need you to help me with something.”

Finral knew better than to question his captain whenever he used that explanation. To someone who didn’t know the captain as well as he did, they would’ve thought him to be some sort of brainless meathead. But years of experience with Captain Yami had told Finral otherwise, so if he had his reasons, then he had his reasons. Still, he wanted to address a certain looming issue he had promised his new little brother, “S-Sure, captain. But before we talk about it, I wanted to ask if Asta and I could-”

“Done,” replied Yami tersely. He already figured that Asta would want Finral to stay with him. The little shrimp clung like shit to a shovel, and Yami was more than delighted to have someone else take over as the shovel because the amount of intimate contact he had had last night was just weird. He had never met someone so clingy, and it really annoyed him; the only thing keeping him grounded was his constant mental reminders that it was a strict order from his mentor.

Finral was taken aback by the captain’s reply but remembered that this must be a part of his “reasons”, so he didn’t complain. “Ok, captain. What do you need?”

“I need you to convince him to go training,” he paused to make sure Finral was listening closely, “because I want my friend and I to ambush him.”

Finral was shocked but more appalled at the thought. He understood Captain Yami’s tough love, but why was his captain so at ease with doing something to one of his subordinates? Finral wasn’t going to have it--he wasn’t going to let anyone harm his new little brother.

Yami expected this kind of reaction, but he didn’t expect this kind of ki--it was overprotective. It made Yami proud (not that he would admit it) because he finally got to see a side of Finral that Yami knew would be useful whenever he wanted to win back his half-brother Langris. “Calm down, Finral. Let me finish. I want to test something out.”

Finral relaxed a little bit at that, glad that his captain wasn’t actually trying to harm Asta. But still, it made him uneasy. “What exactly is that, captain?”

Yami took a long drag of his cigarette. “I think the kid can hide his mana or something,” he exhaled.

“What? Like suppress it? That’s a pretty easy skill, captain,” Finral pointed out matter-of-factly. It was a common skill that all Magic Knights were taught prior to going on any mission because it would help them become undetected against most enemies. Asta being able to do it wasn’t a surprise since even Finral could do it at an early age. It was what had helped him win hide-and-seek whenever he played with his friends--well that and his spatial magic.

“No, not exactly,” replied Yami, earning an intrigued glance from his subordinate. “The kid had no mana at all when we first met, but then he suddenly had the ability to pull-off such a large scale attack that would nearly kill a normal magic user due to mana exhaustion.”

Now that Finral thought about it, Captain Yami did have a point. When he had found him with Asta before the opening ceremony, he felt no mana at all from the grey-haired boy. But Finral just passed it off as Asta being good at mana suppression. It had never crossed his mind that he actually had no magic. “What do you mean, captain?”

“I think he can turn on and turn off his mana,” said Yami, stunning Finral as he looked at him owl-eyed. “But I don’t think he knows it. Hell, I don’t think he even knows what mana suppression is. But one thing’s for sure: his presence when it comes to mana sensing fades whenever he’s scared. For example, I could barely sense any mana from him when we found him outside that bathroom.”

He was right. Finral was able to characterize Asta’s mana when he performed the attack...it was terrifyingly immense to say the least, yet he had struggled to sense it when Asta was trembling uncontrollably later that night. Pondering it a little further, Finral remembered Asta mumbling someone’s name...Mr. Serek? No...Mr. Searik? No... _Come on, Finral. Think_ , he thought. Then, the lightbulb went on in his head. “Do you think that this has something to do with the ‘Mr. Salik’ that Asta was mumbling?”

Yami thought about it for a second. Finral was onto something. “I think..it does. But if it’s connected with how Asta reacts like that, then I’d rather not use it in the ambush. Maybe you can try to get him to open up to you about it after a couple of weeks now that you two are going to be roommates.”

“Understood,” said Finral. With that, the two headed into the dining room. As they walked, Finral stiffened slightly, realizing that Captain Yami hadn’t even let him finish his sentence when he was asking to be Asta’s roommate. Just how all-knowing was he with his subordinates? The thought made Finral shudder.

When they came in, they were met with something that they hadn’t expected. Asta was giggling, holding a conversation with just about everyone in the squad, even Gauche who _never_ took his eyes off the picture of his little sister. The only person who seemed to be sort of out of the fun was Noelle, who was sitting a couple of seats away from the rest of the group. Finral could tell that she was actually listening, evident by her trying to stifle a laugh when Asta threatened Magna with a “slow, painful death” for taking a jab at his favorite food, plain baked tatoes. It seemed as if Asta was going to fit in just fine with the Black Bulls. As they were eating, Luck was the first to announce to everyone that someone was knocking at the door. Finral, accompanied by Asta, decided to go check it out.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Outside_

Leo was growing impatient. He had been knocking for about ten minutes now. He was about to leave when he felt Asta’s mana and someone else headed for the door. He fixed his hair, which surprised him since he never did such a thing for anyone but his mother. As the door opened, he noticed that it wasn’t Asta who had answered the door. Instead it was that spatial magic user that had accompanied Captain Yami to the coliseum yesterday.

“Can I help you?” asked Finral with some venom in his voice. He felt Asta cowering behind him, which was enough to tell Finral that Leo was not welcome. He had suspected something had happened among Asta, Leo, and Yuno, but he didn’t really give a fuck about it now.

Leo grimaced at the venom-laced greeting. He guessed that Asta had told him about what Leo had done. Nevertheless, he wasn’t going to let that stop him from seeing Asta. Clearing his throat, he said, “I’ve come to see Asta.” He noticed a pair of green eyes peek behind the spatial mage, which gave Leo some relief that he wasn’t totally scared. “Hey, Asta,” Leo smiled, taking a step forward only to step back when Asta hid back behind Finral, who took a step forward, grabbing his grimoire. Waving his hands in front of him defensively, Leo said, “Look, I just wanted to apologize for what I did last night. It was...out of line, and I really didn’t mean to hurt Asta. I was just trying to flirt because I thought he was cute, but clearly I was wrong…”

“Are you saying Asta isn’t cute?” asked Finral accusingly, taking his grimoire out of its holder.

Leo blushed. Waving his hands harder, he answered, “N-N-No, I didn’t mean that. He’s cute as fuck and pretty hot, too, if I might add. Anyways, I’m not trying to flirt with him or anything. I just want to be his friend.” With that, he thrusted out the hand that was holding the bouquet of red camellias towards Asta, who was peeking around again and...blushing? _I made him blush?_ wondered Leo as he felt that weird feeling in his chest again. Why was this grey-haired guy making him feel this way?

Finral arched an eyebrow and snorted at the sight of the flowers, recognizing their hidden meaning, which didn’t match Leo’s proposal for friendship. “Flowers seem a little too much for a friendship. Don’t you think, _Lord Leopold_?” He swiped the bouquet from his hand before Asta could so much as lift his arm.

Leo winced at the use of the formal title. _Typical of a Vaude_ , thought Leo. He straightened himself and instead thrust out his hand, hoping that it would be neutral enough for Asta to take it...but he didn’t. Instead, he hid behind Finral again, which seemed to signal the dirty-blonde to slam the door in front of Leo’s face. Leo stood there frozen in place. Did he just get rejected for the first time? Why did it feel so much worse being on the receiving end? Leo’s anger was flaring up, so he decided it best to leave before he ruined his image even more in front of Asta. There it was again--why the fuck did he care about how Asta looked at him? That day, he went home, frustrated both emotionally and sexually. He tried to relieve himself again but to no avail.

_Black Bulls Base_

_Common Room_

_After Finral slams the door in Leo’s face_

There was that weird feeling in his chest again. His heart was beating like it was about to explode, and his face felt hot. Once when he felt Leo’s mana leave, Asta let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding in. 

Finral approached Asta to soothe him when he noticed Asta was...blushing? Eyebrows furrowing in concern, Finral asked, “You ok, kiddo?”

Asta felt embarrassed, and he knew exactly why. “You and Leo called me cute…” he muttered. He puffed out his cheeks and cross his arms, looking anywhere but at Finral.

Finral snorted at how adorable Asta was being when he pouted. “I wouldn’t say anything that isn’t true,” he said, feeling a tinge of guilt as he remembered what he was going to make Asta go through to test out Captain Yami’s theory.

Asta waved him off, earning a light chuckle from the dirty-blonde. He turned towards him to shoot him a cold glare when he noticed that he was still holding the bouquet of flowers that Leo had tried to offer him. “Can I smell those?” he asked curiously.

Finral was surprised at the odd question but thought less of it since flowers wouldn’t do Asta any harm. He handed the bouquet to Asta, who took it cautiously. “Knock yourself out, kiddo. But if you’re going to keep them, make sure you leave it in your--our--room unless you want them smooshed and wilted by the end of the day.” Really, anything that was valuable shouldn’t even be allowed to be brought in because his squadmates would find out some way to break it.

It took Asta a moment to process what Finral had said. He attacked Finral with a hug. “Thank you, Big Bro!” He was elated to figure out that Finral had come through with his promise to become roommates.

Finral chuckled light-heartedly. He was glad to have made the roommate thing work out, which reminded him--he needed to start moving his and Asta’s stuff out so that they could find a bigger room. “I told you I’d make it happen, kiddo. Now, I gotta go. I’ve got a mission to do before we go and move out.” With that, he gave Asta one last squeeze and headed out.

Once Asta was left alone, he eyed the flowers, examining each leaf and petal. He was always intrigued with this particular flower ever since he had seen them in someone’s backyard garden back in Hage. Unfortunately, neither he nor Yuno could try to examine them more closely because the old lady that was gardening was extremely protective of her flowers, going as far as trying to call a village patrolman to guard her garden 24/7.

Asta smelled the flower and was enamoured by its earthy scent. Then, he remembered who had given it to him. Now that Asta was left alone to think things through, Leo didn’t seem like a bad guy. It didn’t mean that Asta could trust him as fast as he had with his squadmates, but he didn’t...not like the thought of having another friend. Mind decided, Asta set out to find Captain Yami since he apparently had some chores for him to do, which Asta didn’t mind for once since it would allow him to explore the rest of the base.

_Vermillion Residence - Leo’s Room_

_Nighttime_

Leo was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had been staring at it for what felt like hours now--the sun was now sleeping under the light of the moon. _There has to be something wrong with me. I’m probably sick or dying or something_ , thought Leo. He couldn’t stop thinking about Asta. He couldn’t stop the weird feeling in his chest whenever he thought about being with Asta--not just as sexual partners but as friends, Magic Knight colleagues, and anything else of the sort. He wanted to be with that short, grey-haired Magic Knight in more ways than Leo thought could be possible with another person. He had never had this problem, and it both intrigued him and pissed him off at the same time. Why did one guy have to make him feel that way? What was so special about him? Was it his magic? Was it his shy, clingy attitude that had a hint of childish happiness behind it? Was it his viridian-colored eyes that Leo wouldn’t mind getting lost in for the rest of his life? Was it his body and how it was just the perfect amount of muscle--not too much, not too little, but just right? The more Leo thought about these things, the more he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He would’ve done it, too, had it not been from a knock at his door. “Come in,” he said, not caring to stand up and open the door himself.

Fuegoleon entered the room with a concerned look on his face. His brother had not been himself when he had arrived. He didn’t bother greeting their parents like he usually would even on his moody days. He didn’t bother going to train. He skipped lunch and dinner. So, Fuegoleon had decided that enough was enough. “Is there something going on, Leo?”

Leo didn’t lift his head up but noticed from the corner of his eye that Fuegoleon had brought him some dinner. He had completely forgotten to eat while he was lost in his thoughts all day. Knowing that his brother wouldn’t let him sleep on an empty stomach, he sat up in his bed with Fuegoleon setting the tray over his lap and taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to him. Leo eyed the food; it was his favorite--plain baked tato. The sous-chef that Mother had hired earlier this year hailed from a village in the Forsaken Realm where their primary food source was tato. Leo didn’t understand why Mother would hire someone who could only specialize in cooking around one simple ingredient, but the moment Leo took a bite out of that plain baked tato for the first time, he fell in love with its dry, flaky texture and according to the sous-chef, it was nutritious too. Still, Leo only indulged in his favorite treat after a hard day’s work or whenever his temper reared its ugly head. Mother also didn’t want him eating just one single dish since they had access to myriad food options as royals. “Yes. No. I don’t know, Brother,” he groaned, taking a bite out of the tato before devouring it to try and ease his frustrations. It sort of helped, but the frustrations still dominated.

Fuegoleon gave a quiet chuckle at how his little brother was taking his anger out on a poor, defenseless tato. “Is it Asta again?” he asked, earning a nod from his little brother who was almost done with his second tato. “Young love,” he mumbled almost inaudibly so that Leo couldn’t hear.

“What was that?” asked Leo.

Shaking his head to dismiss his brother’s curiosity, he opted to just ruffle his hair with his right hand, which Leo slapped away. Sighing, Fuegoleon stood up to head for the door. When he got to the door, he turned his head and offered a small smile to his little brother. “You’ll understand those feelings you have for Asta soon enough, Leo. Just be patient.” With that, he took his leave to his bedroom to finish reviewing mission report papers.

He set his food tray on the table and crashed on his bed again. He rubbed his face in frustration. _What does that even mean!?_ thought Leo. Why couldn’t someone just tell him?


	15. Chapter 15

_Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room_

_A couple of days later, nighttime_

Yuno just wanted to sleep. But sleep had never come ever since the first day he set foot in his new home. He had finally finished his tenth mission, which earned him some bonus pay. The mission was simple enough--capture a thief that had been a nuisance to a town in the Common Realm. He, Mimosa, and his senior Klaus had easily detained the criminal in a simple sting operation where Mimosa would dress in one of her fancier clothes to signify her royal status. Klaus and Yuno were standing by on the rooftops, suppressing their mana as best they could since the thief was apparently a wind magic user, making his mana sensing one of the best. The moment Mimosa was lifted up off her feet by a gust of wind, her two Golden Dawn squadmates jumped right into action with Yuno tugging Mimosa back to him and Klaus pinpointing the user’s location while it was trying to battle with Yuno’s wind magic. The mission pay was five hundred yul--more than he could have ever imagined getting if he stayed in Hage--with the bonus of another three hundred yul. 

He was going to have the money sent by messenger owl to Hage Village, but he was too exhausted to even stand up. And now that he was alone in his room, his thoughts were running rampant once more. They had been easy to suppress whenever he was on a mission or he was chatting with Mimosa or Klaus. He was thankful for the two, being able to put up with him and his cold nature, although Mimosa was more compassionate and Klaus was more tolerant. The latter actually cared for his squadmates, Yuno could tell, but he never wanted to show, using his status as a noble in defense. 

Nevertheless, he couldn’t ask either of them to sleep with him since it would have been scandalous--every Golden Dawn member had their own room and if any member was caught sleeping in another’s room, the rumors within the base would spread like wildfire. Honestly, if Yuno could describe his fellow squadmates, they were just a bunch of pompous pricks that acted like a bunch of assholes towards each other, except for Mimosa and Klaus, in his opinion. All three of them would always receive a dirty stare from the other members because their three-man team consisted of a royal, a noble, and a peasant. Yuno always wanted to pick a fight, but Klaus was always quicker to use his words in order to appease whomever.

On top of all of this, Captain Vangeance had taken Yuno under his wing to train him, claiming that if he wanted to catch up to Asta, then he would need to be trained by the best. Yuno didn’t complain, unlike other members, especially his Vice-Captain Langris Vaude, an offensive spatial magic user. But Captain Vangeance’s tactics were as brute as his personality towards him. He would never hold back against him despite the skill-level gap or the fact that Yuno was still a young Magic Knight, whose experience level was next to nothing compared to the captain’s. At first, Yuno didn’t mind since he thought that facing a strong opponent could only make him stronger but as the long training sessions continued, Yuno would often find himself bruised and exhausted. It didn’t help that everytime Yuno made a misstep, the captain would call him “pathetic” or “weak” and say that he should’ve chosen Asta instead.

That was another thing--at first, Yuno would defend Asta, shouting back insults that didn’t make sense to him or anyone for that matter. But as the days went on, he stopped defending Asta, realizing that he didn’t have to defend someone who was seen as stronger than him. As a matter of fact, he began to blame Asta for his shortcomings as a Magic Knight. Every time Captain Vangeance insulted Yuno, Yuno would displace his negative emotions towards Asta. Every time he did this, the pool of envy in his heart grew. Now, Yuno’s heart was cut in half--half of him envied Asta’s power to the point where he felt like he hated him for it but the other half, the half that had been there for the longest time, still loved Asta dearly, wanting to use the insults thrown at him as motivation rather than as an excuse. It really didn’t help that Asta wasn’t there to tell his heart to make the obvious choice. Yuno didn’t know why he hadn’t decided to pay his beloved a visit. Part of it was because Captain Vangeance forbid it, claiming that Asta wouldn’t want to be seen with a weakling like Yuno. Part of it was because Yuno still felt guilty for hiding from Asta the real reason why he was allowed to go to the Royal Capital. Part of it was because he didn’t want to entertain the fact that his love was unrequited, Sister Lily’s words echoing in his mind every time Yuno thought about it.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got with himself. Moreover, he couldn’t stop wondering about who had been sending him blue roses and love letters since the day after the entrance exam. Yuno would just throw them away, not bothering to read the notes or smell the flowers. Unfortunately for him, Yuno had befriended a flower magic user who was offended by Yuno’s actions, forcing Yuno to take care of the flowers. Mimosa tried to pry a little further, but Yuno just kept telling her to mind her own damn business. But she could feel the smugness radiating from her (even now) as she read and boldly stated his feelings of curiosity towards his secret admirer. It wasn’t that Yuno was completely opposed to finding out, but he had only one man in his heart, no matter how much that feeling was dwindling day by day. Checking outside, he could already tell that it was half past midnight. His eyes drifted towards a certain star but Yuno turned his head away and tucked himself under the covers. That night, Yuno fell asleep again, letting his thoughts consume him once more. That night, before he drifted off to a nightmarish slumber, he whispered the words he had yearned to tell the man he loved, “Asta...I love you.” That night, the pit grew larger, now dominating more than half of his heart that once held only pure love for Asta.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Asta and Finral’s Room_

_A couple of days later_

Finral awoke to Asta stirring underneath him. They had been able to find a two-bed bedroom that was twice the size of his and Asta’s single-bed bedrooms. Asta said he had talked to a new friend of his that he had come across while he was cleaning. Apparently, the person controlled the movement of the base, which made Finral skeptical but ultimately, he decided to believe Asta’s word since Finral could see that he was a good judge of character.

As for their bedroom, Finral was originally going to have Asta sleep in his own bed, but it seemed like Asta wasn’t going to have it. The first night they slept in the new bedroom, Finral awoke to Asta moving his bed closer to Finral’s. Finral didn’t mind and went back to sleep until he felt a hand grab his arm to drape it over a small body. Finral should’ve known that Asta couldn’t sleep by himself, so the next day, he transported a single queen-size bed that he had found in another room to their new bedroom. Asta tried to hide his excitement, but Finral knew that he was grateful for Finral being so considerate. Plus, it wasn’t like Finral minded the intimacy since he and Asta knew that their relationship was platonic ever since Finral accidentally admitted that a different guy had caught his eye. 

Thankfully, Asta decided not to inquire any further. How could Finral explain that he had a crush on Asta’s foster-brother, Yuno? He was exactly Finral’s type--feisty but quiet, a little shorter than him, raven-colored hair, and pale white skin. The cherry on top was definitely those amber-colored eyes that had made Finral blush that night they had come to pick up Asta. Finral didn’t believe in love at first sight, but the moment he got to see those eyes up close, he knew that Yuno was the one. Finral was sure of it. He even set out to start courting him the next day when he told Asta that he had a mission. Yes, it was a mission...but it was a mission to find the perfect bouquet of roses that would signify how he felt for Yuno. Not getting a rejection letter told Finral that he could keep going, so that was exactly what he did. Every morning, he’d come to the same flower shop near the Golden Dawn’s headquarters and pay a little kid to drop off the flowers, along with a love letter, at the Golden Dawn’s doorstep. He still didn’t have the courage to face Langris, but that wouldn’t stop him from courting the man he loved.

Asta stirred again underneath him. He seemed to be having a bad dream, and Finral couldn’t help but worry as he stroked his hair soothingly. It must have been what happened yesterday during the planned ambush. Finral had gone and asked Asta to train with him out in a clearing in the forest near the base. It was when they had made it to the clearing that Captain Yami and his friend, Fanzell Kruger, made their move. They had been able to suppress their mana perfectly, but apparently, it took a lot of concentration even for them due to Asta’s heightened mana sensing. Luckily, Asta and Finral were engaged in a conversation when it happened, making Asta lose his focus. When they jumped out of the bushes, wind sword (Fanzell) and katana (Captain Yami) brandished, it was enough to shock his new little brother to the point where his tremors resembled convulsions. Yami knew he had gone too far when Finral looked at the pained expression on his face as he saw Asta crying and trembling, mumbling the name “Mr. Salik '' and pleading with that invisible person that he’ll do anything but “that”. Even this made Finral tear up a bit as he hugged Asta as tight as he could, rocking him gently in his arms to calm his tremors. It took a while, but Asta seemed to have recovered. The progress that he had made with trusting people would have regressed had it not been for Captain Yami and Fanzell apologizing over and over and explaining to Asta why they did it. Asta was still scared, evident in his slight tremors, but he understood, thankfully. 

With that, they were able to confirm their suspicions: Asta was able to willfully turn his mana on and off based on his fear levels. Captain Yami nor Fanzell could explain how Asta did it since turning off one’s mana completely went against natural law due to mana being the lifeforce of all humans. Nevertheless, Captain Yami told him that the ability could be extremely useful in battle and covert missions since Asta could practically blend in with his surroundings. The only problem, Fanzell said, was that Asta needed to learn how to control his fears and use them to his advantage. Asta agreed to it but asked for some time, which the two were quick to approve. Fanzell had even offered to give him lessons in swordsmanship since he was also a close-combat specialist, using his wind magic to create different swords to aid him in a fight. Asta also agreed to that, that time with less hesitation, saying that he’d like to start as soon as he could. With that, both adults took their leave, and Finral and Asta actually did train, though it was exhausting since Asta had continuously forced Finral to surpass his limits with his “never give up” attitude. In the end, though, it was all worth it because Finral had finally been able to find another practical use to his spatial magic. It was pretty “awesome”, according to Asta, since it was able to speed up his already superhuman speed thanks to his athletic body and light magic attribute. To Finral, though, it was terrifyingly deadly, knowing that if he and Asta ever got to fight with each other against an enemy, the battles would last mere seconds.

Asta finally woke up with the sunlight in his eyes again. It seemed as if he could never escape the sun’s rays; he was always woken up in this way no matter where he found himself--at Hage, in his former bedroom, and now in this room. The sun seemed to always find him. He sat up, yawning and stretching. He turned around and greeted Finral with a smile, “Morning, Big Bro.”

“I’m so sorry, kiddo,” replied Finral almost before Asta had greeted him.

That caught Asta off-guard, but he could understand why. After all, his trauma acted up again yesterday. Nevertheless, Asta understood why it had to happen. Although it horrified him, even he was curious as to how his magic just suddenly came back. At least now he knew. Apparently, his constant reassurance with Finral didn’t suffice--he had non-stop apologized to him even during their actual training session. Again, he understood why, but it just annoyed the hell out of him now. People were being way too nice to him--what’s done is done. If anyone asked him, he would prefer no special treatment because of his incident, but maybe that was the problem--no one ever asked him about it. No one ever asked about how he felt. They just assumed Asta’s feelings for him. But Asta was ok with that because other than annoyance from everyone’s caution and pampering, he didn’t know how he felt about what happened to him. So, he decided to be grateful that everyone respected his decision to delay coming out about his incident.

He grabbed Finral’s nape and touched his forehead to his. Both guys closed their eyes for a second before they stared into each other’s eyes. “It’s ok, Big Bro. Really. I forgive you guys for what you did. You did what you had to do.” 

Finral relaxed, leaning into Asta’s forehead a little more. “If you say so, kiddo.” Then, he noticed Asta scrunching his nose. “Something wrong?”

Asta pinched his nose. “You’re breath stinks.” Instantly, he was attacked by Finral, restarting their ongoing morning tickle war. Asta kicked and squealed and laughed his ass off. His stomach began to hurt from all his laughing, and he was about to call it quits when Noelle opened the door.

Her face heated up to the color of a tomato at seeing the two boys having fun. Well, in her defense, she thought they were having more than fun, so she wanted to check it out. “A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-Asta, she stuttered, “W-W-W-What a-a-are y-you t-t-t-two d-d-d-doing!?” She turned around and held onto the doorframe, taking slow, deep breaths to calm herself.

“What does it look like, Noelle? Asta’s just losing this war,” Finral said, tickling Asta’s stomach towards the end, making the grey-haired boy squirm and laugh again.

Once Asta calmed down, he wiped the tears from his eyes and sat back up. “What’s up, Noelle?” Asta was thankful that Noelle’s haughty attitude was just a thin mask that hid her easily-flustered personality. By the time everyone called her out about it, she decided to “drop it” because she was royalty and felt bad for us.

“I-I’ll have you know that there’s someone at the door waiting for you, Stupidsta,” she said, flipping her hair back behind her head before heading back down the maze that was their base to eat breakfast. She was going to tell him that it was Lord Fuegoleon, but he had told her not to mention who it was.

Someone was looking for him? Could it be Yuno? Asta had been meaning to get back to him, but it seemed like every time he and Finral went to visit the Golden Dawn headquarters, a guard would tell them that Yuno was busy training with Captain Vangeance or on a mission. It was ok, though, with Asta. It made him proud that he was being personally trained by the man who might be the next Wizard King. It motivated him too, which was the reason why he was looking forward to training with Fanzell--Asta had just caught up to his foster-brother with getting his magic back, but he wasn’t going to let his rival get ahead of him that quickly. He turned back to Finral, who had already gotten ready for the day. “Do you think it’s Yuno?”

Finral stiffened at the mention of the name, cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. He coughed into his hand, hoping it would make Asta think something other than the possibility that Finral was head over heels for Yuno (it didn’t). “I don’t think so, Asta,” he answered, smiling apologetically. He really didn’t want to voice his suspicions about Asta’s foster-brother. Although Finral did love the man, he loved his new little brother just as much--maybe that would change if Yuno became his but until that day, he would always put Asta’s best interests before Yuno’s. And he couldn’t bring himself to look into those eyes and say that Yuno was trying to avoid him. He had seen the raven-haired boy through the window that overlooked the entrance to the headquarters as they headed back to their base one day. It didn’t take Finral long to know, even from afar, that Yuno was trying his hardest to look away.

Asta was saddened by Finral’s smile more than his words. Was he hiding something? “Ok, I guess I’ll head on down,” he said, forcing a smile. With that, he turned on his heel and bounded for the door.

_I’m sorry, kiddo_ , thought Finral. Sighing, he headed downstairs to see who was coming to see Asta again. _It had better not be Leo_ , he thought.

_Black Bulls’ Base_

_Common Room_

“Coming!” shouted Asta as he dodged a fireball that Magna aimed at Luck. Apparently, Luck had eaten his pudding again. As he opened the door, Asta’s brows furrowed in confusion. Standing before him was the Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Fuegoleon Vermillion. What was he doing here? “Good morning, Captain Fuegoleon. You called for me?”, Asta greeted politely.

Fuegoleon smiled down at the grey-haired boy. It looked like he was fitting right in with how he didn’t mind the men fighting inside his base. “Hello, Asta. Yes, I was wondering if you were busy today?”

Asta turned to look at Finral, who shook his head no. Turning back, he relayed the message, “No, captain. I’m free today. Why?”

“I’d like to ask if you would like to come with me to the Vermillion Estate. Someone wants to meet you there,” he replied.

Someone wanted to meet me at their house? Was it Leo? _Isn’t this a little much for an apology?_ thought Asta. Then, he remembered that he had not outright forgiven the guy. Was that really necessary with people here? Back in Hage, he and the other villagers rarely asked for each other’s apology. It wasn’t that the person didn’t want to apologize but more or less they gave a silent apology through actions since most of the villagers developed a mutual respect for each other. Asta had thought that not saying anything was good enough, but apparently not. He looked back at Finral again, who gave him the nod of approval. He relayed the message with a nod and a smile. With that, he waved everyone goodbye and headed out the door with Fuegoleon. Normally, Asta wouldn’t have done this because of his fear of men, but something told Asta that Fuegoleon meant well. He could see it in his eyes, along with a sense of...pity? Did Asta see that right?

As they flew back towards the Vermillion Estate, Fuegoleon was pleased to see Asta enjoying himself. Unlike Fuegoleon, Asta was standing on the broom, surfing the wind currents. He seemed to be enamoured by the sights and sounds of the city with his ohs and ahs, making Fuegoleon assume that this was the grey-haired boy’s first time flying above the city. _That’s exactly it. He was just a boy_ , thought Fuegoleon, gripping his broomstick a little tighter to calm his nerves. 

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate_

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Asta. He heard Fuegoleon clear his throat and saw that he was giving him a chastising glare. “Sorry, sir. It’s just this place is just is just- wow.” His words couldn’t even begin to describe his amazement. Everything was just so elegant: white marble floors and columns complimented by red wallpaper that had repeating patterns of the Vermillion family crest--a golden lion’s head with a crown on top--simple yet elegant; there were two winding staircases with gold-embroidered, crimson-colored carpeting that met at the top on the second floor that was most likely the bedrooms; on the first floor, there was a center hallway that led to other rooms. Amidst Asta's astonishment, however, he failed to notice the wall-to-floor painting depicting the main family of the House Vermillion.

As Fuegoleon led the way to the backyard, he said, “Now Asta, I understand this is your first time, so I’ll let you know now that this is also the headquarters of the Crimson Lion Kings. Don’t worry though. I’ve had all the men go out on missions so you don’t have to fear anything.” He held the French door for Asta to the dining room (which was all fixed now, no thanks to a certain someone).

Asta was taken aback by the captain’s knowledge of his fear of men. Maybe Captain Yami had told him? As they made their way through the kitchen, Asta was shocked by the large assortment of foods he didn’t even know existed. Sure, he got to try Charmy’s cotton cooking magic, but those were mostly sweets and whatever else the base had in-stock in the pantry, which was usually beef, chicken, or vegetables. After Fuegoleon noted to him that Asta should stay for lunch after the meeting, they made their way to the backyard that was enclosed by the walls of Clover Castle. The backyard was gorgeous and full of greenery, but he also noticed a garden where red camellias were being grown--the same flowers that Leo had given him.

As they walked out further onto the green grass, Asta noticed a woman that had the same colored hair as the captain’s working on part of the garden that stood out from the rest--it had white flowers instead of the red camellias.

Marisol smirked when she heard Asta’s footsteps getting closer. _So the boy doesn’t recognize my mana_? she thought. She continued working on the flower as she slowly plucked three out and planted three new seeds where they were, patting the dirt to finish it off. She stood up and faced Asta, who gasped the moment he laid eyes on her. “Hello, Asta, my dear. It’s been a while.”

Asta was frozen in place. In a shaky voice, he said, “I-It...can’t be…” He covered his mouth to hide his quivering lips. Marisol immediately caught him in a hug before he could fall onto his knees. Asta clutched her waist as he cried quietly.

“Shh...it’s ok, Asta,” said Marisol softly as she stroked his hair. They stayed like that for a minute or two until Asta’s crying subsided. She pulled him off, holding him by the shoulders and smiled apologetically at him. “I’m sorry, Asta, for everything. But first, I suppose introductions are needed now that since you’re a Magic Knight. My name’s Marisol Vermillion.”

Asta wiped the last of his tears away with the palm of his hand. Between sniffles he said, “It’s nice...to finally...meet you, Mrs. Ve-”

“‘Mother’ will do, Asta. Drop those silly formalities and call me ‘Mother,’” she cut him off. Asta started giggling, earning a curious glance from both Vermillions. “Is there something wrong, Asta?”

Giggling lightly, he admitted, “Nothing, Mother. It’s just that I’ve never had an actual mom before.”

“Well, consider this your lucky day, Asta, because you’ve got the best mom in the world,” Marisol said, ruffling his hair, making the grey-haired boy giggle a little more at the gesture. “Isn’t that right, Fuego?” she added, catching her son by surprise.

“Y-Yes, Mother. But the nickname, please,” said Fuegoleon. Fuegoleon didn’t want subordinates in his squad or any other to catch on to the nickname his parents and sister used. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the nickname, but he felt like he would lose major respect points if anyone outside of his family found out.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” replied Marisol, waving him off. “Here. Take one of these, you two,” she said, as she held out the white flowers for the two to take. “You two came right on time.” With that, she started for a particular tree that stood out among the rest--along with its light-green leaves, it had white flowers scattered around. She motioned for the other two to follow.

Once they got there, Asta noticed a small wooden cross that was carefully placed into a mound of dirt surrounded by rocks. Intrigued, he asked, “Mrs. V- Mother, what’s this?”

Marisol hummed. She kneeled down in front of the mound of dirt. “Come here, Asta,” she called, tapping the patch of grass next to her. Fuegoleon, knowing what was happening, knelt on the other side. Once Asta had knelt down, Marisol grabbed his hand and placed it in the center of the mound of dirt. “Tell me, what do you think this is?” she asked, biting back a sob. She was not going to cry again. Two times in her life was enough.

Asta didn’t know what she meant, but he closed his eyes. A split-second later he gasped when he felt something--it wasn’t someone’s mana, it wasn’t anything magical--it was a natural connection, the ultimate connection between two animals. It was the connection between a mother and child. Surprisingly, Asta didn’t tremble. He wasn’t sad. He wasn’t regretful...He was happy--happy to finally be reunited with someone he thought he had said goodbye to for the last time. A little piece of his heart began to mend back into its rightful position at this moment. Clutching the dirt, he spoke softly like how Sister Lily would speak to Hollo or Aruru whenever they were sad. “Hey there, little biscuit...It’s me, Mama.”

The sight of Asta’s sudden realization was enough to make Fuegoleon shed a single tear. He crawled over to Asta and embraced him. “I’m sorry, Asta...I’m so so sorry...it must’ve been so hard,” he said quietly, stroking his hair because it just felt right at the time.

“You don’t need to be, cap-” Asta started.

“‘Fuego’. When we’re not around any subordinates or colleagues, just call me Fuego,” he corrected as he cut Asta off.

Asta clutched Fuegoleon’s forearm to reassure him. “You don’t need to be, Fuego. Neither you nor Mother need to be sorry for anything. What’s done is done. I’m just happy that I get to finally see my child in a proper resting place.” He looked back down at the mound of dirt--though it technically wasn’t the proper way to bury the dead, it looked like it was well-kept, which was all Asta could ask for. Then, he gave a generous grin to Fuegoleon and Marisol.

Marisol smiled back. Sniffling a bit, she said, “Alright, Fuego. Let’s not get sappy in front of a child. We still have something important to do.”

“What’s that, Mother?” asked Asta, a blank expression on his face.

Marisol smiled at Asta. Then, she looked at the white flower in her hand. “Do you know what these flowers are, Asta?” She looked at Asta, who shook his head no. “They’re white carnations. They symbolize pure love and innocence. That night that I saw you holding your baby in your hands, I was so proud of you. You looked beyond the circumstances that led you to miscarrying. You looked beyond the fact that your child was the child of a rapist. You just saw your child as your child and nothing less.” Then, she looked at the tree and glanced back at Asta to ask the silent question that she had asked him about the flowers. Again, Asta shook his head no. Touching the bark of the tree, she said, “This is an elderberry tree. We use its poisonous berries for cooking sometimes. Don’t worry, though. The toxin is removed by the heat. Anyways, a friend of mine had told me that there was also a meaning behind an elder tree. It represented transition and continuation. You wanted to see your child as a child of God, so I decided to put its grave under this tree--to represent your child’s transition into the afterlife to continue its life peacefully in the heavens.” Finally, she glanced back at the white carnation in her hand then at Asta. “I’m sure you know what three flowers mean.” She placed her flower on top of the mound of dirt, right in front of the wooden cross.

“Faith, hope, and love?” Asta guessed as he placed his flower on top of Marisol’s. Anything that involved three-of-a-kind made Asta always assume that it represented the three-leaf clover because after all, they did live in the Clover Kingdom.

“That’s correct, Asta,” Fuegoleon affirmed, placing his flower on top of Asta’s. “It’s standard practice for any Clover royal that dies.”

“But...my child isn’t-” Asta started, a bit surprised by the fact.

“Who gives a damn, Asta?” Marisol interrupted quickly. She looked at the mound of dirt that was now decorated with three white carnations. “I’m sure you’ve already heard the rumors of our family’s stance on social status. I’ll let you know now that they’re all true. So, let me repeat myself in saying who gives a damn? Because certainly no one in this family does”

Asta opened his mouth to respond but closed it, not knowing what to say to that. He had already assumed it was true with how Fuegoleon and Leo treated him like some other person and not a peasant. He started to giggle, earning a curious glance from the two adults. “Who knew that one day, I’d be the mother of a royal?” At this, the other two chuckled lightly. Then, they stood there in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, paying their respects to the dead, until Fuegoleon stood up and announced that he’d be inside to check up on lunch and assign new missions.

Marisol and Asta sat there again in silence for a couple of minutes. Marisol was the first to break the silence. “What do you think about my younger son, Leo?” She told herself she wouldn’t meddle, but she just couldn’t bring herself to not pry into the matter as his mother. Plus, it wasn’t like she would force Leo upon Asta. She just wanted to know.

Asta didn’t answer for a couple of seconds, gathering his thoughts. Finally, he answered, “I can tell he’s a sweet guy that’s just a little lost in the haze of his hormones.”

Marisol snorted. “You mean extremely lost,” she corrected. Sighing, she added, “I don’t know what to think of it. My husband, Leonard, always just says that ‘boys will be boys’ but I don’t know. Is it really just hormones?” Despite being one of the best Magic Knight healers around, no amount of healer knowledge could prepare Marisol for Leo’s behavior.

Asta knew only one other person who was like that. He didn’t want to admit it--in fact, he probably never would--but Asta had caught Yuno masturbating to him multiple times. Thank goodness for Yuno’s distracted mind because he would’ve been caught easily with Yuno’s mana sensing. Asta could also tell that Nash was on the way with how he looked at Sister Lily. _Goddamn pervert_ , he thought. “I think...he’s just like Yuno.”

“Yuno? Your foster-brother? As in, the one that’s in-love with you?” she asked. Yuno’s love for Asta was as obvious as the noonday sun. But the question was, did Asta feel the same way?

Asta was caught off-guard by the statement. Was Yuno that obvious? _Probably if I figured it out. And I suck at love_ , he thought. If Marisol asked that, then Asta could probably guess what she was thinking. “Yes, the same Yuno that’s in-love with me. But before you keep thinking what I know you’re thinking, no, I don’t feel the same way...It’s difficult to explain...but I just feel like I’m not the right person for Yuno.” _And I’m just not ready to love right now_ , he wanted to add but thought otherwise since he knew that Marisol would pity him like everyone else he knew. Sighing, he continued, “As for how Leo’s just like him...I don’t know how to explain either. It’s sort of like the two are trying to hide their desire for more than something sexual by doing sexual things.”

This time, it was Marisol’s turn to be caught off-guard by Asta’s keen observation. Also, she felt sorry for Yuno’s unrequited love but was a little glad that her Leo had a chance. “I suppose you’re right, Asta...So...how do you _feel_ about Leo?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too intrusive.

“How do I feel about him?” wondered Asta aloud, scratching his head. Feeling like he could trust Marisol to keep it a secret, he said, “He’s ok, I guess. He reminds me of me in some ways with how forward he is. For example, he didn’t hesitate at all to just straight out apologize to me about what happened earlier this week.” He paused to see if Marisol was following, who gave him a nod to continue. “Also, I don’t know, but whenever I’m around him, I get this weird feeling in my chest like I’m about to get a heart attack or something. I think it’s from all the new fatty foods I’ve been eating,” he said, patting his stomach and grinning sheepishly.

That was all Marisol needed to know that Leo’s feelings were being reciprocated. Though, it did annoy her that both guys were completely oblivious to how they felt for the other. _Are men really this dumb?_ she wondered. She turned her entire body towards Asta and placed her hand on top of his gently. Smiling, she said, “All I ask is you give my Leo a chance. I can tell you’re changing him for the better.”

Could it be? Was another person in-love with Asta? _Wait a second_ , he thought. He racked his brain to try and recall the day Leo had come to apologize. Leo had blushed and called him cute...and pretty hot. Ok, so his feelings were obvious. Moreover, he and Marisol had already established the fact that what Leo did the night prior was just him trying to hide behind his real feelings...though it was traumatizing. _But wait...didn’t I...and the feeling in my chest whenever I look at him...am I..? No way..._ he thought, eyes widening at the revelation. 

Marisol crossed her arms and gave the grey-haired boy a smug look. _I take it back. Maybe not all men are that dumb_ , she thought. Then, Asta looked at her with eyes as wide as round saucers, silently asking for confirmation. She nodded at him knowingly...but she didn’t expect him to start crying. Embracing him as he cried on her shoulder, she asked, “What’s wrong, dear?”

Between sobs, he said, “I-I don’t think...I’m ready yet, M-Mother. H-He--no--no o-one can accept...me.” He repeated the last part over and over, hitting himself in the chest.

Marisol held his arms back and hugged him tighter. She whispered quietly as she cradled him, “Shh...don’t say that, sweetie. Leo may not look like it, but he’s a very sympathetic young man. I’m sure when the time comes, he’ll understand. Until then, take your time with this new feeling. I know it must be hard to accept with what’s happened so recently, but trust me, Asta, it’ll be all worth it in the end.”

Wiping his eyes, he asked softly, “Promise?” It was childish of him to ask. Marisol couldn’t tell the future. No one could. Still, he wanted to hear her say it.

“Promise,” she asserted. With that, the two sat in front of Asta’s first child’s grave for a couple more hours talking about each other’s lives. There were some tears, some laughs, some lecturing, some threatening, but if someone ever asked Asta about that morning, he would say he really lucked out with the best mother in the world. After their long conversation, they decided it was time to go and have lunch with Fuegoleon.


	16. Chapter 16

_Vermillion Residence_

_Early afternoon_

_As Asta, Marisol, and Fuegoleon are having lunch_

“We’re home!” shouted Leonard and Leo in unison. The father and son hadn’t planned on arriving at the same time. Leonard had political matters to deal with in the Magic Parliament about having more peasants in the Magic Knights. It was a pain in the ass, but he eventually convinced them, having to summon his “royal persona” to tell them of their “use to the cause”. Whatever the cause was, Leonard didn’t know--he just thought it sounded “royal-y” enough.

Leo, on the other hand, managed to finish his mission early. Some ladies in the Blue Rose Knights had run into a small group of Diamond Kingdom soldiers and were about to be overwhelmed because their magic affinities were incompatible with those of the Diamond soldiers’ had it not been for Leo and his team coming to the rescue. It was a little annoying having to hear them bicker about being saved by a savage group of men, but Leo was already used to it. “Hello?” he shouted, looking at his father, who looked as perplexed as him. Something was up because usually his mother would be giving him a full head-to-toe assessment. Leo found it annoying because his mother treated him like a baby, but just like with the Blue Rose Knights, he had gotten used to it to the point he found it weird if she didn’t do it.

“Marisol? Fuegoleon?” called Leonard. The two were about to head upstairs to check their offices when they heard giggling from the dining room. The two exchanged glances before Leonard nodded his head towards the dining room. With that, they made their way to the giggling.

Leo wasted no time. Like his mother and sister, he barged in. “Mo-,” he was about to shout before his father pulled him to the side in the nick of time from a blast of faint-grey light that made a hole in the French door and wall in the hallway. After he checked for holes in his body, he looked up, jaw dropping at the sight of Asta giggling sheepishly and his mother and older brother laughing along.

“Sorry about that, Leo. But in my defense, you startled me,” Asta said, rubbing the back of his head, blushing. There was that weird feeling in his chest again, but this time, Asta knew what it was, but he just didn’t want to accept it yet. _Just not right now_ , he told himself, willing his heart rate to return to normal. 

“Wh-What a-are y-you d-doing here?” Leo stuttered, face heating up as well. There was also that weird feeling in his chest again, but unlike Asta, he didn’t know what it was.

_So he does like me then_ , Asta thought. Though he didn’t want to accept the fact that he reciprocated those feelings just yet, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t have some fun during the process. _I’m gonna have so much fun. And I can already tell he’s as worse as Yuno, if not more_ , he thought, a devilish smile tugging at his lips.

“Well, are you just going to stand there or join us, Leo?” asked Leonard, already making his way to the dining table across from Marisol. He dug in immediately after greeting Asta and telling him to just call him “Father” instead of “sir” or “Lord Leonard”.

It wasn’t that Leo didn’t want to join. He was definitely hungry, and he could see that the sous-chef had prepared his favorite snack for him for some reason. But he didn’t know if Asta would let him get so close. Voicing his concern, he asked, “Uhh...will Asta let me join in? I don’t want to scare him or anything.” _Though, I do wanna eat hi- No. No. No. Shut up, Leo!_ , he chided himself. What the hell was wrong with him? Where did his manners go? It seemed as if Asta’s presence made him more confused with his thoughts than usual.

Asta gave a “you were right” look to Marisol, who grinned smugly and nodded back. “Go ahead, Leo. Sit wherever you’d like,” he said, darting his eyes at the empty seat right next to him.

Leo got the message and walked over, taking his seat. He didn’t move a muscle. Not when Asta was right next to him, and he could smell him, remembering the same scent he had smelled that night. That was the first thing he addressed, “I-I’m sorry, Asta, for what I did to you that night. It was out of li-” He didn’t finish his sentence because he stiffened when Asta placed his hand on top of his that was on his lap.

“It’s ok, Leo. I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean it,” Asta reassured. Leo seemed to relax with that.

Leo took Asta’s hand in his and was about to kiss the back of it before he paused right before his lips made contact. Realizing what he was about to do, he dropped Asta’s hand rather abruptly and took a plain-baked tato. While he did this, his face was heating up as red as his Crimson Lion Kings’ robe. He didn’t notice that Asta was as red as Leo, muttering something unintelligible in an attempt to regain his composure.

_They’re hopeless_ , thought the three adults, sweat-dropping as they continued eating their food.

Asta took his own plain-baked tato and began to eat. After swallowing a couple of bites and feeling like he could speak actual words, Asta asked, “S-So, Leo. You eat plain-baked tatoes, too, huh?”

Having devoured his first tato, Leo went for seconds. As he ate, he said in between bites, “Are you kidding me? Plain-baked tatoes are my favorite snack in the entire universe!” With that, he devoured his second tato and went for thirds.

Asta’s eyes lit up at that. “Really? They’re my favorite, too! I would eat them all the time back in Hage!”

This time, Leo’s eyes also lit up at the fact that he had found another person who found the treat so delicious. “No way! That’s freaking awesome, Asta. It’s nice to finally meet someone who has actual good taste.”

“Tell me about it,” Asta snorted. “Though they are a bit dry,” he added, taking a swig of his glass of water to prove a point.

“And flaky,” Leo added, following the same action as Asta.

Both boys put their glass down on the table. Looking at each other’s eyes, they exclaimed in unison, “But nutritious!” They gasped when they noticed the other had been thinking the same thing. Then they high-fived and giggled like six-year-olds.

_Now they’re finishing each other’s sentences at the same time...disgusting_ , thought the three adults. This back and forth continued as they finished up their lunches. Occasionally, Leo’s parents and older brother would throw in a funny or embarrassing comment that alluded to Leo’s past, making Leo fluster in embarrassment and Asta giggle at the sight, which only served to make Leo heat up even more. He was definitely worse than Yuno. But Leo wouldn’t be Leo if he didn’t fight back, making Asta blush as he snuck in some flirtatious comments of his own. 

By the time the family had finished lunch and dessert, Leo asked if Asta could stay a little longer, which Marisol and Fuegoleon agreed to after the grey-haired boy asked permission. As the day continued, Leo showed Asta around the residence, avoiding his bedroom at all costs. The feeling in Leo’s chest only got worse as the day went on and he saw Asta fascinated by the smallest things that Leo would have considered irrelevant. After the tour, Asta seemed to know the ins and outs of the base as well as Leo. It was when Leo and Asta were just walking around the upstairs hallways, shoulder to shoulder, that Asta got the bright idea of playing tag, declaring the game out of nowhere as the two ran after the other throughout the headquarters like a bunch of little kids.

It was when a group of Leo’s male squadmates started making their way back into the headquarters in the late afternoon that he noticed Asta clinging onto him for dear life, trembling as badly as he had that night. They were near his bedroom door when Asta heard the men’s voices. Immediately, he crumpled to the ground, clinging onto Leo as they sat on the floor. It only got worse as the men’s voices got closer, making Asta start crying. Leo didn’t know why Asta was trembling so much, so he just decided to do what he had thought was the best idea at the time. He wrapped his arm around Asta’s shoulder and brought him into the one place he had been trying to avoid the entire day, asking one of the maids to go get his mother.

Once they made it into the bedroom, they didn’t even make it to the bed once Asta heard more male voices outside, forcing Leo to just sit down and lean on one of the double-doors that led into his room. Leo felt horrible, not knowing what to do as he tried to make Asta’s tremors go away. He just sat there, hugging and rocking Asta as tight as he could when he noticed that Asta seemed to be out of it, mumbling “Mr. Salik” repeatedly. This got Leo’s thoughts racing and for some reason, his blood boiling. Just who was Mr. Salik, and what did he do to Asta? Moreover, why did Leo feel the need to protect someone he barely even knew? Before his thoughts could continue, he heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice. He slid his arm up to pull the doorknob. “Come in, Mother.”

“Leo, what’s wrong? Marissa looked lik-” she started before cutting her sentence short as she gasped at the sight of Asta’s tremors. Immediately, she closed and locked the door, kneeling down next to Leo as she stroked Asta’s hair. “Oh, sweetie, you poor thing,” she said softly. Asta started to calm down by the combined touch and warm embrace, but he still seemed to be out of it.

Leo turned to his mother with his brows furrowed in concern and asked, “What’s wrong with him, Mother?”

Marisol knew she should’ve told her son the complete truth now that she knew that they shared the same feelings for each other Nevertheless, her oath to patient-healer confidentiality prevailed, but he was still her son and someone that she could see loving this sweet, broken boy. So, she opted for only part of the truth that didn’t disclose too much. “All I can say, Leo, is that he has a fear of men because of what happened to him. Until Asta himself tells you everything, this is all I can say.”

The new information made Leo’s chest constrict. Leo had done something that he thought was just him being a harmless flirt but instead, he traumatized someone even more than they were already. It made him feel so disgusted with himself that he wanted to punch himself to death had it not been for Asta’s hand reaching up to cup his cheek.

Asta knew the face and silence all-too-well. Yuno and everyone at the orphanage church shared the same face whenever they felt the same guilt that Leo was feeling. Honestly, it shocked Asta a little bit since he clearly knew that Leo knew nothing about what had happened to him. He could feel Marisol’s smugness radiating from her. Ignoring Marisol, who actually was smirking smugly, Asta said, “Don’t beat yourself up, Leo. You didn’t know at the time.”

Leo didn’t know why, but he liked the feel of Asta’s hand on his cheek. Grabbing the hand and leaning into his touch, he smiled and said, “Ok, baby. If you say so.” Immediately, the hand that was rubbing his cheek stopped. Both Leo and Asta stiffened at the pet name. “I-I-I-I-I-I-I…” Leo slurred.

“N-N-N-N-N-N-No…” Asta slurred back.

_These two are completely hopeless_ , thought Marisol watching the scene unfold. Deciding that it was best for Asta to leave with more members of the Crimson Lion Kings filing in, she said, “Alright, you two, I think it’s time for Asta to leave before things get worse. All of Leo’s squadmates are coming back from their missions as we speak.” She looked at Asta remorsefully, “Think you can make it back home on your own, sweetie? Or do you want me or Fuego to tag along with you?”

Asta clutched onto Leo’s surprisingly firm stomach. “Leo…” he muttered.

Knowing what the grey-haired boy meant, Marisol turned her gaze to Leo. She snapped her fingers in front of his face to draw him out of his flustered daze, “Leo, can you bring Asta home?”

“Y-Yeah, sure,” agreed Leo, cheeks still red, trying to tell his blood vessels to bring his blood to anywhere but down. With that, the two headed out through the balcony in Leo’s room. They made their way to the Black Bulls’ headquarters with Asta clinging to Leo’s waist and resting his head on Leo’s back, finding the sound of his heartbeat soothing.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_As Asta and Leo make their way to the Black Bulls’ Base_

Noticing the winds were rather calm that night, Asta took this chance to talk. “H-Hey, Leo,” he called, feeling the body in front of him stiffen.

“Y-Yeah, Asta?” Leo asked.

“T-Thanks for today. I-I had a lot of fun with you,” Asta answered.

“Y-Yeah. I had a lot of fun with you too,” Leo admitted. He relaxed when he felt Asta smile behind him.

Asta started to notice buildings slowly giving way to familiar trees. They were getting close now. “I-I’d like to go out with you again sometime,” Asta said, thankful that Leo didn’t have to see him blush.

Again, Leo stiffened. “Y-You mean l-like just the t-two of us? L-Like a date?”

Why did this guy have to make things so difficult? “Y-Yeah, i-if you’d like to t-think about it t-that way,” Asta answered, as they touched down.

Before Leo could get anything out, he felt a hand shove him backwards. He turned around to see Finral scowling at him from the front door, having used his spatial magic to teleport Asta right next to him. His flustered state was replaced with irritation. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Leo said, “Finral.”

“ _Lord Leopold_ ,” Finral hissed. He then felt Asta tugging at his shirt and turned to look at him.

Asta grabbed his nape and pressed his forehead to his. Asta whispered, “It’s ok, Big Bro. Leo’s nice. I trust him.” He really did, and he didn’t want either of the guys making a scene, noticing that some of his squadmates were coming into the common room to see what was happening.

Finral relaxed at the new information. Sighing, he turned back to Leo, who was clenching his fists for some reason. “Thank you, Leo, for bringing Asta home.” With that, he headed to the dining room for dinner, leaving Asta and Leo to themselves.

Asta’s stomach began to grumble. But before he closed the door, he teased, “I’m looking forward to our date, Leo...And a little more _fun_.” With that, he winked at Leo and closed the door to head to the dining room.

Meanwhile, Leo stiffened again...but in a more concentrated area in his body. He really liked how Asta said “fun” and apparently, somebody else liked the idea too. With that, he hopped on his broom and headed home. That night, he asked his father on how to date and his mother on proper manners. He had not a single clue about dating since he always just hooked up after some flirting. It confused the hell out of him, making him pause on occasion to wonder why he was doing so much for another person. He didn’t notice everyone--his parents, his older brother, Randall, and his squadmates--shaking their heads at how hopelessly in-love the young lord was with the grey-haired boy.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Asta and Finral’s Room_

_The same night_

Dinner was chaotic and delicious as usual. Vanessa had gotten drunk off her ass again and accidentally spilled some wine over Gauche’s picture of Marie that Gauche had fainted on due to severe blood loss. Gauche went berserk when he saw it, turning into a murder machine as he fired ray after ray of his mirror magic at Vanessa, who was surprisingly elusive when she was drunk or when she wanted to be (or maybe a little bit of both). This was compounded by the usual fight between Luck and Magna over Magna’s pudding. Unfortunately for Magna (and pretty much everyone else in the room), Magna tried to take out his anger on the wrong person by stealing _Charmy’s_ pudding, making just one large scuffle. Noelle was doing her best, hiding behind Asta, who was somehow not caught in the crossfire--probably because no one wanted to hurt the adorable little shrimp or because no one wanted to make him mad (or, like Vanessa, a little bit of both). Finral just teleported away, eating in peace. Gordon and Grey were...well no one really bothered Gordon or Grey like they didn’t bother Asta. The scuffle ended when Captain Yami had punched a hole through the wall, causing the ceiling in the dining room to collapse, but (un)surprisingly none of the floors above followed with it. (Asta thanked Henry for that after everyone decided to call it a night.)

But where was Asta in all of this? Or more specifically, where was Asta’s mind? Simple: Leopold Vermillion. It was pretty obvious why, but Asta was afraid more than anything else. He was afraid that if he allowed someone to touch the shattered remains of his heart one of two things would happen: that person would glue back the pieces of his heart, but in a way that ended up in Asta’s fragile heart being used and abused with Asta buying in on every second of it because that person could control him; or that person would find a way to shatter the pieces even further, leaving an empty void where love once used to be. But was there a third option? Asta was pulled from his train of thought when he felt a finger poke his cheek.

“Something the matter, kiddo?” asked Finral, reaching over the edge of the bed where Asta often hung his head to think. It hadn’t happened much since Asta had just started living in the Black Bulls’ headquarters for almost a week now. The only other time this happened was when Asta was thinking about what Yuno was doing.

“...Nothing, Big Bro,” he lied. Asta was usually a good liar, but it seemed like his body didn’t like the fact that he was trying to lie to someone who had been treating him so special so quickly.

“You know, Asta, I can’t be your big brother if I didn’t try to help you with your problems. At least, be honest with me here,” Finral scoffed.

Asta sat up and looked at Finral inquisitively. “Oh? Did you just say be _honest_ with you, Big Bro? How about you being honest with me?” Asta thought that now was a better time than any to discuss certain things since Captain Yami had told him that Fanzell would train him very soon so that he could start going on missions because Yami didn’t pick a “cute boneless shrimp” to be in his squad. Asta didn’t know whether to be offended or flattered when he had called him that.

“W-What do you mean by that, k-kiddo?” Finral gulped. _Please don’t be what I think it is. Please don’t be what I think it is_ , he thought.

Smiling devilishly, Asta started crawling to Finral’s side of the bed and spelled, “Y-U-N-O, spells?”

“Shit,” Finral whispered, making Asta bust out laughing. Finral pushed Asta’s face away playfully and crossed his arms, blushing. “How’d you know?”

Asta laid his head back over the edge of the bed. “I always know,” he snorted. “Especially when it comes to people that are trying to court my foster-brother.”

Finral sighed. He should’ve known that Asta would be protective of Yuno. “It’s kind of difficult to court someone who’s head over heels for anoth-”

“Well you don’t have to worry about that other person returning those feelings,” said Asta, cutting off Finral. “I don’t really feel the same way. And no, I can’t explain it. All I can say is that it just doesn’t feel right…”

“So...what then? Do you approve of me?” asked Finral as he rested his head on the headboard.

Asta lifted his head. “I wouldn’t be calling you Big Bro for no reason.”

Finral started playing with Asta’s toes for some reason. “Thanks, kiddo. I’m glad I could receive your blessing.” They sat there in silence for a couple of minutes as Asta thought about the things he wanted to discuss and Finral played with Asta’s toes, fascinated by how something so tiny could move a single body at superhuman speed. “Can you tell me a little bit about him?”

“Of course,” Asta agreed. “Now where do I start..? Oh, he seems like he’s stoic and aloof, but he’s a really shy boy that gets easily flustered by simple, kind gestures. Also, he’s a cuddler. Like, you think my cuddling problem is bad? You haven’t met Yuno. That man could cuddle you to death if that were even possible. Although with you, I can tell that wouldn’t be a problem, Big Bro.” He lifted his hand and winked at Finral, whose face heated up as he averted his gaze. Asta chuckled lightly at the sight. “Sorry, I just had to. Anyways, he’s an extremely horny teenager, so if you plan to fuc-”

“S-S-Stop it right there, kiddo,” Finral stuttered, face going a deeper shade of red. Taking a deep breath to calm his rapid heart rate, he added, “I’m not...completely opposed to those kinds of things...but I want to love him for more than just sex.”

_He’s a keeper, Yuno_ , thought Asta. “That’s very admirable of you, Big Bro. So allow me to help you any way I can to get you his heart,” he said. He lifted his head up to see what Finral was doing, who gave him a nod of gratitude. He continued, “Be careful, though, because he can be very overprotective and possessive of the things and people he loves. It can be difficult to get through to a person as powerful as him once he gets something--or someone--he wants.”

“That makes sense...but he can’t be as powerful as yo-” Finral started.

Without hesitation, Asta cut him off and said, “He’s the most powerful person I know. He’s my rival and my foster-brother, and I know he’s more powerful than I’ll ever be, so I suggest you don’t underestimate him.”

Finral was shocked by the affirmation. But he knew better than to judge Asta’s words. If he said that Yuno was more powerful than him, then Yuno was more powerful than him. They sat there in another comfortable silence as Finral played with Asta’s toes. From what the grey-haired boy just told him, Finral would have to be extremely patient and probably forgiving if he wanted Yuno to love him because if what Yuno’s actions said about how much he loved Asta, then Finral would probably have to wait a very, very long time. But the question was: Could Finral wait that long for someone to love him? Probably, since he had been chasing men and women for the past six years.

“So...what’d you do at the Vermillion Estate?” asked Finral. He had been meaning to start with that, but that didn’t happen obviously.

Too absorbed in his thoughts, Asta casually said, “I visited my child’s grave.” The moment he heard a gasp from the dirty-blonde was when Asta realized what he had just said. _Well, there’s no escaping this now_ , he thought.

“Wh-What do you mean your child’s grave?” asked Finral in a quiet whisper, pulling Asta’s legs so that he would be able to stare at him right in the eyes. Asta had a lot of explaining to do.

“Have you ever wondered why I’m so afraid of men?” asked Asta as he sat up and positioned his head on Finral’s lap, closing his eyes as the dirty-blonde above him began to stroke his hair.

“Trauma?” Finral guessed. He thought it was because he was in an abusive foster-family or something, which made Finral all the more happy to take the grey-haired boy under his care since Finral knew the feeling all-too-well.

_Be strong. Be strong, Asta_ , he told himself. But he couldn’t. He started to sob quietly, prompting Finral to cradle his head and rock him in his arms. Leaning into his chest, Asta recounted the memory that he had been trying so hard to repress, “E-Earlier this year, w-when Yuno and I had gotten our grimoires back in Hage Village, we were a-ambushed by an ex-Magic Knight from the Purple Orcas,,,” Asta struggled to say the wretched name, sobs taking over him.

“Shh...take your time, kiddo. This is probably a lot for you, so don’t rush into it until you’re ready,” Finral assured quietly. He had the feeling whatever happened was connected to this “Mr. Salik”.

Asta bit his lip to force his sobs to subside temporarily. “His name was R-Revchi Salik...he was after our four-leaf grimoires. H-He had been able to get Yuno’s grimoire but for some reason, he couldn’t get mine...so...so...so h-he d-did...h-he...his…”

Finral’s eyes grew wide. _No. No, don’t tell me...impossible_ , he thought. He needed to know. He needed to know that what he Asta struggled to say was not what he thought. He grabbed Asta by shoulders and shook him, “Asta,” he started quietly, tears starting to fall down his cheeks, “don’t you dare fucking tell me what I think it is...don’t you fucking dare…”

Asta nodded in contradiction. In the smallest, audible voice, he confirmed Finral’s fears, “I-I...was...raped.” 

With that, he crumpled and wailed into Finral’s shoulder, who held him tightly, not caring if the embrace was too tight--Finral didn’t want to let go. That was exactly what happened: Finral and Asta just stayed in each other’s arms, crying silently for about half an hour. _How dare he...How dare that monster do this to my little brother_ , he thought. “He’ll pay...He’s going to pay for this…” muttered Finral.

Why did those words sound so familiar to Asta? “P-Please, Big Bro...No. I d-don’t want him as a part of m-my life a-anymore...Please...d-don’t do a-anything bad,” Asta pleaded. Asta’s pleas seemed to get through Finral. As the night moved forward, Asta recounted to Finral Father Orsi’s explanation to how he, a male, had gotten pregnant. There was more crying than anything as Finral comforted Asta. That night, the two held each other as they cried themselves to sleep, their brotherly bond strengthening even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter’s ending is a bit rough around the edges because I didn’t really know how to end it properly. In the end, I decided to keep it as it was. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL


	17. Chapter 17

_Golden Dawn Base - Training Grounds_

_The next day_

“ **Wind Magic: Gale White Bows**!” exclaimed Yuno. With that, he pulled back his right arm with an open palm, generating a wind bow that held three large wind arrows. He turned his palm to change the trajectory of his arrows so that they would all hit a single target: Captain Vangeance. But before he could fire the arrows, his breath hitched. He doubled over, falling to the dirt ground under him. He had expended too much mana already.

“Hmph,” said Captain William with a disappointed scowl on his face.

“Y-Yuno!” called Mimosa as she rushed towards the pained raven-haired boy. She had come running to the Golden Dawn’s training grounds the instant her senior, Klaus, had told her that Yuno skipped sleep and breakfast to go training again for the second day in a row. Once she made it to his side, she knelt down and took out her grimoire. “ **Plant Magic: Princess-Healing Flower Robe** ,” she recited. With that, a dress with wing-like ornaments on her back made of green vines and leaves and flowers covered her petite body. She placed her hand above Yuno’s worn out form, causing her hands and Yuno’s body to begin to glow a bright, green light. Without looking away, she begged, “L-Lord Vangeance, please allow me to heal Yuno. He is suffering from mana exhaustion and has not eaten or slept in the past forty-eight hours. I recommend that he get some rest for today so that his duties as a Magic Knight for the Golden Dawn will not be compromised.” Mimosa had known Yuno for only a week, but she knew that he was as stubborn as they got. She was thankful for her training under her Aunt Marisol because it helped her develop a persona that was unlike her shy and easily-flustered self.

“You’re pathetic, Yuno,” said Captain Vangeance, “Asta would have done better. Asta would have been able to beat me by now.” Then, in a completely different tone as he closed his grimoire, he told Mimosa, “Do as you please, Mimosa. I trust you’re more than competent to take care of Yuno. I’ll leave you under his care while I go attend to my duties.” With that, he placed his grimoire in his holder and headed for his office, ignoring Yuno’s injury-induced groans. They had been training since last night after Yuno had woken up the tired captain. Part of the captain worried for Yuno’s poor state of health, but the voice in head prevailed and took over his mind to torture the raven-haired boy. _This is getting out of hand_ , he told the voice in his head. **_Nonsense. The boy is still weak. He must be strong enough to defeat Asta in order for our plans to proceed_ ** , replied the voice. _You know that is never going to happen. Yuno loves Asta with all his heart_ , retorted the captain. **_Which is exactly why we’re doing this_ **, said the voice.

Yuno opened his heavy eyelids. He turned his gaze to the kneeling form. With his blurry vision, he saw the man that had haunted his dreams two nights ago, prompting him to force himself to stay awake. “Not...yet...Asta...not yet,” he whispered. Then, everything went black. _No. Not again_ , he thought. As his body remained unconscious, his mind began to replay the dream he tried so hard to forget:

He and Asta were eight-year-olds again back in Hage Village the night Asta had saved him from the drunkard. As Asta professed his love to him, Yuno was overcome by anger at how it was only brotherly love. Asta turned his back to him and faced another kid that looked like a year older than them with vermillion-colored hair. They were laughing and holding hands, ignoring Yuno’s crying form. _Why won’t you love me, Asta!?_ he yelled, pulling out a pitch-black sword out of thin air as he began to repeatedly stab Asta in the back. The other kid screamed and crouched to Asta’s side while Yuno was crying and laughing like a maniac until Asta, coughing out some blood due to the multiple stab wounds scattered all over his body, turned to him, smiling warmly, and repeated the same words he said that night he saved him, _Yuno, I have and always will love you. I love you so much, Yuno. Why can’t you see that?_ Then, the scene changed, and he was fifteen-years-old with Asta being raped by Revchi Salik. But Yuno wasn’t bound by his iron magic chains. He was holding down Asta as he ordered Revchi, _Harder, Revchi! Go harder on him!_ Then, Revchi’s form faded and Asta was smiling at Yuno in the same way he did when they were eight-years-old. But this time, Asta was crying and the smile was bittersweet. _Why didn’t you save me, Yuno? It’s alright. I still love you so much, Big Bro_. These scenes kept playing over and over in his mind.

The next time Yuno awoke, he was in his bedroom, and it was nighttime. He felt a hand on his forehead, but it wasn’t someone he knew. He looked up into slanted, amethyst-colored eyes that looked perfect with the person’s dirty-blonde hair.

“Hi there, Yuno,” greeted the dirty-blonde with a kind smile. _You look so beautiful_ , he thought.

“Who are you?” Yuno asked quietly, placing his hand on top of the person’s hand that was resting on his forehead. Yuno didn’t mind the touch for some reason.

“I can’t say for now because I’m technically not supposed to be here. But I’m one of Asta’s friends,” the dirty-blonde replied.

_“Technically not supposed to be here”...why does that sound so familiar?_ wondered Yuno. Then, he realized what else the dirty-blonde said. He slapped the hand that was holding his forehead and sat up (with help from the dirty-blonde). He winced from aches in his body, holding his head to steady himself. “So Asta wasn’t man enough to come here himself?” he scoffed.

Mimosa dipped the cold washcloth in the bowl of warm water, wringing out the excess. As she dabbed Yuno’s face with the cloth, she snorted, “Are you kidding me, Yuno? That guy appeared before I even got to send the word out after you kept saying his name while you slept. He even healed you with his own magic, which obviously wasn’t as good as mine,” Mimosa said as she flipped her hair in the same way as her cousin Noelle. She added, “It took me and Klaus the entire day to convince him that you were alright, warning him that he should leave before he got caught.”

“He didn’t want to leave your side, so I promised him that I’d take care of you until you woke up,” the dirty-blonde added, blushing. He got a spoonful of the food from the bowl he was holding and brought it to Yuno’s mouth, “N-Now say ‘ahh.’”

Yuno opened his mouth and accepted the food from the stranger. He noticed he was wearing a Black Bulls half-cape, which meant that he was Asta’s squadmate. As Yuno swallowed, he muttered, “Delicious…” He felt his cheeks heat up as the dirty-blonde wiped some of the sauce from the corner of his mouth.

“Chicken curry and rice. You like it? I made it myself,” the dirty-blonde said proudly, not caring if he was blushing as red as a tomato.

“Y-Yeah, it’s ok,” said Yuno as he averted his gaze. Mimosa continued to clean Yuno as the dirty-blonde fed him in an awkward silence. Finally, the dirty-blonde left abruptly, saying that he felt Langris’s mana nearby, leaving Yuno befuddled as to why the man knew his vice-captain’s name. Once the person left, the atmosphere in the room turned from awkward to tense.

Mimosa was the first to speak up, “You’re overexerting yourself, Yuno. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this if you have any hope of being a great Magic Knight.”

“So you doubt me too, huh?” Yuno sneered.

Eyes widening at the accusation, she said, “N-No, Yuno. That’s not what I meant...it’s just that even the best need to re-”

“You can leave now,” Yuno ordered with some venom in his voice. Then, he saw another bouquet of blue roses on his nightstand. He picked them up and threw them at Mimosa. “And throw those away on your way. I have no need for such petty things.”

Mimosa’s persona began to fade, revealing her shy personality but still, she persisted, remembering what Asta had told her about Yuno’s stubborn nature. “Y-Yuno, you’re st-still hurt. I c-can’t leave you l-like this.” Then, she remembered how Yuno had been also mumbling in his sleep that he loved Asta, so she added, “A-Asta wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Yuno paused for a second. Then, he remembered his dream and how Asta was with someone else. He also remembered that Asta didn’t stay until he woke up, completely ignoring Mimosa’s explanation. “Don’t you dare fucking say that name in front of me,” he growled, making the plant magic user jump from the bed.

“Y-Yun-” she started, scared but remaining unmoved because her friend was in pain.

“I said leave! Or I’ll make you leave!” he yelled, calling up his grimoire. Captain William’s words were replaying again in his head as his heart continued to fight against the words’ onslaught. Mimosa bolted out of the door, crying. With that, Yuno calmed down as guilt overcame him for what he had just done. He finished the delicious chicken curry and rice that the dirty-blonde had made for him but threw away the blue roses that were probably sent to him from his secret admirer. That night, Yuno was haunted by his nightmares again but somehow, a different hand from an unknown face reached behind him at every turn, making the nightmares go away for once.

_Somewhere outside the Black Bulls’ Base_

_A couple of days later_

“Take this!” yelled Asta as he lifted his greatsword above his head with both hands on the grip to prepare for a downward slash. Asta was in the middle of sparring with Fanzell. Asta had thought that he had found an opening at one point and used his demon light magic to reinforce his speed...But somehow, Fanzell was always one step ahead of him. As he slashed downward, he only cracked the ground beneath him, not knowing where his teacher had gone. Suddenly, Asta felt a familiar tap on his back.

“And...you’re dead again,” declared Fanzell casually as he poked Asta with his wooden sword. He may not have been as fast as Asta, but he was definitely more experienced in swordsmanship if his unfazed state compared to Asta’s heavy breathing meant anything. “You can’t hit me if you’re not going to try and predict my next move. You may be fast, but that sword weighs you down,” he said, poking his wooden sword at Asta’s pitch-black greatsword.

Asta gritted his teeth. “Not yet...I’m not giving up yet!” he exclaimed and lifted the sword to swing backwards, only to fall flat on his stomach. “Damnit!” he said while he tried to get up, only to have Fanzell’s foot on his back to keep him place.

Fanzell poked Asta’s nape with the tip of his wooden sword. “And you’re dead again...If you want to be able to switch directions quickly with any sword, especially with something as big as that, you have to lead with your feet. Now, up you go!” He grabbed Asta by the back of the shirt to get him back on his feet. Then, he turned Asta around so that the grey-haired boy’s back was facing him. “Now, try it again, kid.”

“Ok.” Asta adjusted his stance so that his right foot was ahead of his left. Then, he moved his right foot backwards, using his hips to turn the rest of his body and slashed horizontally at Fanzell, who simply parried the slash to avoid a direct hit. “Yes!” Asta cheered.

“Good job, kid. You're a fast learner,” Fanzell said, smirking. Asta really was. It had only been a couple of days since they started the lessons, but Fanzell could tell that Asta was someone different...in a good way. In all his time as a swordsman, he had never come across a student so determined to learn. His talent as a quick learner along with his “never give up” attitude would make him a formidable opponent on the battlefield. “Alright, kid. I think it’s time to call it a day.” The sun was already beginning to set over the horizon.

“Not yet, Mr. Fanzell! We can’t stop yet! I have so much more to learn!” shouted Asta enthusiastically.

Fanzell thought about what else he could teach his student. There really wasn’t much because Asta already had the fundamentals down. The only way he could teach him was to outright battle with him since he could tell that the kid learned best by doing rather than listening to a boring explanation. But then again, he didn’t want to push the kid. “No, Asta. I think we’re good for today. You’ve already got the fundamentals down, and the next step is to put your swordsmanship to the test in an actual battle,” he stated. Rubbing his aching back, he lied, “But unfortunately, my back’s been killing me since we started earlier this morning.” Maybe it was a half-lie because his back really was killing him.

“You know, Mr. Fanzell, you don’t have to lie to me,” said Asta perceptively. “I guess we can call it a day, _old man_ ,” he teased. Mr. Fanzell did have a point though. They had been sparring since before daybreak because Asta had been too excited to learn that he could barely sleep. Although, Big Bro Finral didn’t seem to mind since the visit with Yuno a couple of nights ago went so well.

Fanzell faked a shocked gasp. “I’m hurt, Asta. But thanks for understanding.” He ruffled Asta’s hair, which Asta seemed to like as he beamed at the affectionate touch. He patted Asta forward to signal him to start walking. As they were walking back to the base, which was pretty far out since Fanzell didn’t want Asta’s squadmates to distract him, Fanzell asked, “Hey, kid, do you remember why I’ve got to use a wooden sword against you?”

Asta tried to remember the last time Mr. Fanzell tried to use his wind magic swords against him. It was during the first day of training, obviously, but he couldn’t remember the explanation. “I don’t remember why, but I do remember my sword cutting your wind sword in half.”

Fanzell nodded. “That’s correct. And do you remember when I asked you to hit me with your sword?” he asked, already wincing at how drained he felt after the hit.

“You mean when you fell flat on your ass after I smacked you?” Asta giggled. Asta had not wanted to hurt Mr. Fanzell, so he used the flat of his blade rather than the edge. He had accidentally put too much power into his swing, which sent his red-headed teacher flying a few meters backward. It was still pretty funny, though, because despite landing, he still slid backwards on his ass for a good meter.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fanzell said, “That’s one way to put it.” He paused for a second to think about how he was going to say his next words. Since he saw the Black Bulls’ base up ahead, he opted for the straightforward route. “Listen, kid, I haven’t been totally honest with you,” he confessed, earning a curious glance from his grey-haired student. He continued, “I used to be a commander for the Diamond Kingdom before I deserted my position because I despised their inhumane methods of creating soldiers. You already know what happened between my fiancée, Domina, and me, but I never told you the part where your Captain Yami helped smuggle me into the Clover Kingdom. I owe that man my life, especially since he’s still helping me find Domina.”

“Is that it, Mr. Fanzell?” asked Asta.

Surprised by the kid’s boldness, he admitted, “No. In fact, there’s a lot more,” he said as they paused in front of the Black Bulls’ base. “As a high-ranking official and skilled tactician, I was also assigned to the Diamond Kingdom’s counterintelligence unit. A lot of my missions involved me infiltrating the Clover Kingdom to obtain information on new magics that the Diamond Kingdom’s enemy possessed. During one of my missions, I came across an ancient text that I had deciphered by our Decipher Corps.” He paused to see if anyone was listening, espionage skills kicking in. Once he felt the coast was clear, he said, “The ancient text was a book about a race of mana-loved creatures called the Elves. A lot of the pages were either too worn out to read or were torn out, except for one particular page that discussed one of these elves’ sword magic. Apparently, the swords he wielded were connected to an ancient forbidden magic that blessed his weapons with a powerful magic derived from the Underworld...these three swords had the ability to nullify, absorb, release, and reflect all types of magic...Now you’d think that there was a catch, and yes, there is: the swords absorbed the wielder’s mana, so the user would need to possess an insane amount of mana or no mana at all...and for some reason, you can be either, if Yami’s theories are correct that is.”

Asta’s eyes grew to the size of round saucers. “N-No...way...that’s...that’s...that’s...fucking awesome!” he roared. Immediately, Fanzell’s hand covered his mouth, reminding him to keep quiet. With a small fist pump, he cheered quietly, “Woo-hoo.”

Fanzell chuckled lightly at the action. “Anyways, that sword that you have has the ability to nullify, absorb, and reflect mana. According to the text, it’s called the ‘Demon-Slayer Sword’. Before you ask, no, I don’t know the names of the others nor do I know what they do specifically because after the text was deciphered, an ancient magic curse placed upon it made the book wither away into dust, which is pretty typical if you ask me. All I can say, though, is that from what was able to be deciphered, the swords have at least those properties that I mentioned. But who knows? There’s probably more.”

Asta tried to wrap his brain around all this new information. Scratching his head, he mumbled, “So you’re saying this is a type of magic that works against magic and even feeds on it...it’s like the opposite of magic...like...anti-magic?”

“I was going for magic-eater magic, but yours sounds cooler...so yes, kid. Anti-magic,” said Fanzell, ruffling Asta’s hair. Sighing, Fanzell said, “Well, kid, I’ll drop by on occasion to check up on your swordsmanship. You’ve learned a lot, but you’ve still got a long way to go.”

“Of course, I do, Mr. Fanzell! If I’m gonna become Wizard King, I’ve got to learn everything I need to protect all those I love!” Asta proclaimed as he held out his arm, grinning his signature grin.

_This kid_ , thought Fanzell. “You got that right,” he said, bumping Asta’s forearm with his forearm--a gesture that acknowledged Asta as Fanzell’s student. With that, Fanzell took his leave, and Asta went inside to have another chaotic dinner with his squadmates.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Asta and Finral’s Room_

_The same night_

Finral was playing with Asta’s toes again as the grey-haired boy rested his head over the edge of the bed. The two were talking about their day. Finral, now with his secret love for Yuno out in the open, talked about how he started his day with the typical bouquet of blue roses and a love note that he placed in Yuno’s room personally since he had the chance to visit it a couple of nights ago. Asta called him sappy and told him to just tell him already. Finral retorted that courting was a complicated process that he prided himself in. Asta mockingly answered back that maybe Finral was just too complicated for his own good, making the dirty-blonde cry crocodile tears. After that, though, his day was uneventful since his job as a Magic Knight was basically to be a pack mule, which prompted Asta to smack him hard across the face that he fell off the bed. While Asta treated his wound, Finral got a lecture from his little brother about self-worth and how he shouldn’t downgrade himself like that. Ultimately, Finral conceded to Asta’s words, promising him that he wouldn’t look or allow anyone to talk about himself like that any longer.

Asta then started recounting his day, which was by far more interesting, either because Asta was really good at exaggerating minor details such as “a flower the size of a mountain”, or he was just a good storyteller because training didn’t really peak Finral’s interest unless it was with Asta, who could make something as boring as training pure hell or a fun experience. They got to the subject of Asta’s anti-magic sword, which Finral understood after recalling the initiation ritual with Magna. They decided to test it out with Finral opening a portal on the floor and Asta stabbing his sword in the center of the portal, causing it to disappear. After that, the two got back to the subject of love, but this time, on Asta’s end.

“So now that I know your backstory, kiddo, I can’t help but wonder how do you feel about love?” Finral asked as he stroked Asta’s head of hair that was on his lap.

“It’s complicated like you,” snorted Asta, making Finral cry crocodile tears. Sighing, he said, “It really is, Big Bro. It’s not easy putting your heart out there in hopes you’ll find the right one to repair it, even if it’s so broken.”

“Aww, look at you being poetic, kiddo,” Finral smiled apologetically, pinching Asta’s cheek.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Asta, brushing off Finral’s hand. “But it’s true. I mean, wouldn’t you be scared if something like what happened to me happened to you?”

Without hesitation, Finral agreed, “Yes. Yes, I would.”

For some reason, the image of Leo smiling at Asta popped up in his head, making him blush. _Damnit, Leo. Why now? When I’m this close to Big Bro_ , thought Asta.

Finral did not fail to notice the blush. He poked one cheek and said, “What’s this, kiddo?”

“N-Nothing,” Asta lied, averting his gaze. His blush only got more intense as he remembered how he and Leo ran around the Vermillion Residence, playing tag like they were still little kids. He remembered how Leo complained that it was unfair because of Asta’s light magic attribute, which Asta agreed with but decided to prove the point that he didn’t need to use magic to be the “Tag King”. If it was even possible, his blush got worse when Leo had flirted with him and said that Asta could be the king of his world anyday, though, according to him, he much preferred queen.

Brotherly instincts getting the better of his respect for Asta’s privacy, Finral demanded, “Who is it, kiddo?”

_Am I that obvious?_ Asta wondered. He looked up at Finral, who seemed to be reading his thoughts as he gave him a nod. “N-No one in particular…”

“Are you going to make me guess?” Finral asked. Receiving no answer, he started, “Vanessa?” Asta shook his head no. “Charmy?” Again, no. “Grey?” Not a chance. “Noelle?” Cute but no. “Magna?” Virgin delinquent. “Luck?” No. “Gauche?” Obviously no. “Gor-” was all Finral could say before Asta threatened to blow his mouth wide open. Captain Yami and himself were obviously a no and Yuno was thankfully a no because he and Asta would’ve had a major problem there. Who else had Asta been seeing? Fanzell? No, he’s got Domina. Captain Fuegoleon? No, he’s got his own cluelessness to deal with, and everyone that knew had bets on who would admit it first. The only other person could…”No. Absolutely not,” said Finral, refusing to even say the name. This time, it looked like Asta had read his mind because his grey-haired little brother was squirming under him, trying to escape. “I forbid it, Asta.”

“Why?” Asta asked.

“Because of what he did to you, don’t remember?” Finral scoffed.

“He’s a good person, Big Bro!” Asta retorted.

“Absolutely not,” Finral answered curtly.

“Well, too late for that,” Asta said, sticking his tongue out.

_So cute_ , thought Finral. Shaking his head, he said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m going on a date with him,” said Asta shyly as he covered his face to hide his flushed skin.

Finral stiffened. Eye twitching, he asked, “Did I just hear that right? Did you just say you’re going on a _date_ with Leopold Vermillion? Over my dead body.”

Asta mumbled under his hands, “That can be arranged.”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What?” Finral stuttered.

“I’m kidding, Big Bro,” Asta giggled, “I’d never hurt you or let anyone hurt you. But please, just believe me and let me try this out with Leo. I’ve gotta start somewhere, right?”

“I guess you’re right, kiddo,” Finral sighed, hugging Asta’s head. “I just don’t want your heart broken again. So if he ever tries anything remotely bad, I’ll kill him.”

“Geez, and here I thought you wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Asta giggled. With that, the two continued talking about whatever until they fell soundly asleep in each other’s arms. That night, Asta felt another part of his heart fall back into place.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Asta and Finral’s Room_

_A couple of weeks later, morning_

“Damnit,” Asta whispered under his breath. He had just finished his chores for the day (doing the laundry, dusting the rooms, cleaning the floors, feeding the stup- lovely magical beasts) and taken a shower after getting beast slobber and sweat mixed in his clothes. Now, he was fiddling with his hair in front of the mirror in his and Finral’s bedroom, trying to get that one strand of hair in the middle to stay down. He tried everything from one of Finral’s many, many hair products to his saliva to even the magical beasts’ saliva, but nothing worked. The hair was as stubborn as he was sometimes. It didn’t help that the anti-magic bird that liked to stick with him wherever he went kept pecking at the same spot he was working on as if it knew what Asta was doing and didn’t like it.

At one point, he just gave up and sighed in frustration. The anti-magic bird seemed to like the reaction, nestling its tiny, fuzzy form in the usual spot on his head--right in front of that one strand of hair. “Why must you do this to me, little birdie?” Asta asked the bird, who just cooed in response. _And why am I talking to a bird?_ he wondered. 

“Asta! Come on, it’s time for breakfast! La!” yelled Charmy from all the way downstairs. Asta was always so shocked whenever he heard her voice because how could such a small person produce a voice that could reverberate six stories up?

“In a minute, Ms. Charmy!” Asta yelled back, hoping that his voice was at a loud enough decibel. Mumbling incoherently, he fiddled with his shirt collar and jacket sleeves one last time, trying to decide whether the collar should be up or folded and whether his sleeves should be unfolded to his wrists or folded up to his elbows. He ultimately chose the former for the shirt collar and the latter for his sleeves. He was startled when Finral’s form appeared behind him in the mirror.

“You ok, kiddo?” asked Finral as he started patting down Asta’s clothes to get out any wrinkles. Why was he doing this? Shouldn’t he not be supporting this?

“Just a little nervous is all,” Asta admitted, taking a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart.

“Did I hear that right? My Asta’s _nervous_ ,” Finral said, arching his eyebrow questioningly.

“Yes, Big Bro. I’m nervous. Don’t tell me you didn’t get nervous your first time,” scoffed Asta, puffing his cheeks in a pout.

_So cute_ , thought Finral. Pinching Asta’s cheeks, he admitted, “Of course I was nervous, kiddo. Everyone’s nervous on their first date.” He grabbed Asta by the shoulders and turned him around to pat the frontside of his body. Again, why was he doing this? Once he finished, he grabbed Asta by the shoulders again and gave him a reassuring smile. “But the important thing is to be yourself, kiddo. Leo’s going to be a mess like you, but just remind yourself that it’s just like any other day with him.” He squeezed Asta’s shoulders. “I hope the days you were with him were appropriate.”

Asta rolled his eyes. “Really, Big Bro. I’ll have you know that I’ve only met up with him twice--the night of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam and when I visited his residence. Save the first time we met--which doesn’t count by the way, at least for me--he was more than appropriate,” he huffed.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Finral retorted. With that, they stepped through the portal to have breakfast with their squadmates.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Dining Room_

“Guys, I don’t rea-” was all Asta could say before his face was stuffed with more food.

“You can’t go on a date with an empty stomach, la!” said Charmy as she continuously stuffed Asta’s mouth with rice, chicken, beef, and vegetables. She didn’t notice Asta already choking.

“Charmy’s right!” shouted Magna as he slapped Asta’s back, making him stop choking but also spit out all the food that was in his mouth. “If you’re gonna be this man’s man, then a man’s man’s gotta eat!” He didn’t notice Asta blush at the implication of being Leo’s man.

“Oh, oh! If you two become boyfriends, can I fight you both? Huh? Can I? Can I?” asked Luck as he started eating Magna’s pudding...again, beginning the first brawl of the day between the smiling battle maniac and the virgin delinquent. Those who weren’t brawling gave Luck the usual “no.”

“Oh, hush all of you,” said Vanessa, who was surprisingly not drunk. She grabbed Charmy’s food and began to feed Asta like a normal person but still with large spoonfuls of food. Wiping the food from the corner of his mouth, Vanessa asked, “Do you know what you two are going to do?” Asta shook his head no. “Well, you know what you should do? Go shopping! Use the pay you got from that mission at Rayaka Village to buy yourself a new outfit, and I’ll make sure to sew in the Black Bulls’ insignia and copy it with my thread magic so you’ll have plenty to wear!”

“You know, Ms. Vanessa, that’s actually not a bad idea,” admitted Asta as he continued to be spoonfed. He seemed to be growing out of his clothes now, indicated by some seams already beginning to rip. He really didn’t want to change his clothes, but he really didn’t want anyone other than Sister Lily fixing them either. Unfortunately, with his schedule picking up because he had told Captain Yami a couple weeks earlier that he was ready for the full load of Magic Knight duties, Asta couldn’t make any more time to visit Hage Village. He still wrote letters, though, hoping those would suffice. As for the clothes, they held a lot of sentimental value in them, so Asta decided that he would hide them in a nice place as a keepsake.

“Oh, oh! Asta, your boyfriend’s here,” announced Luck after he felt Leo’s familiar mana waiting at the front door.

Asta started to panic but remembered what Finral said. He chugged his glass of water and started for the common room until Noelle stepped in front of him all high and mighty...but flustered as always. She tossed a bag of yul at Asta, who easily caught it. “There, Stupidsta, take my allowance and go.”

“Uhh...thanks, Noelle, but I really can’t take this money,” Asta said, trying to hand it back to Noelle.

Noelle flipped her hair over her shoulder and said, “As if I’d accept money from the likes of you. I’m royalty. Obey me.” With that, she made her way to a clearing outside near the base where she secretly trained her mana control.

_But this is_ your _money!_ thought Asta, crying crocodile tears. He sighed, not wanting to argue with Noelle at the moment since he didn’t want to keep his date waiting. With that, he (and Finral) made their way to the common room to meet his date.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Common Room_

Asta opened the door to find Leo also fiddling with his hair and clothes. He was holding a bouquet of red camellias in his right hand again. Asta thought the sight was endearing, but Finral thought it was pathetic for a royal to come unprepared. Neither spoke their thoughts out loud, however, to avoid making an already awkward atmosphere more awkward. “H-Hi, L-Leo,” said Asta, face already in a blush.

“H-Hi, A-Asta,” greeted Leo awkwardly, blushing as much as Asta. Then, he stuck his hand out to Finral. “H-Hello, Finral.”

_They’re hopeless_ , Finral thought. “Leo,” he said tersely, taking the hand and giving it a rather strong squeeze.

Leo was already sweating bullets, and he didn’t know why. He was never like this with any other guy. Maybe it’s because he never went this far for any other guy? He realized he hadn’t given the flowers to Asta yet. _Damnit. First mista- Wait. Why am I supposed to care?_ thought Leo. He thrusted out the hand that was holding the bouquet towards Asta. “H-Here you go.”

Asta knew the flowers were for him...but why was he still so nervous to accept them? It took him a moment, but he took the flowers and thanked Leo for them. He smelled them and enjoyed the earthy scent as they calmed his nerves. With that, he stepped outside to be shoulder to shoulder with Leo, ready to start their date, only to have Finral separate the two of them and stretch his arms out as far as they could.

“There we go. Now you two are at an appropriate distance,” smiled Finral smugly, arms crossed on his chest. Asta pouted, but Finral ignored him to make his way to Leo, who looked horrified. Making sure Asta wasn’t looking (he was still smelling the red camellias that Leo had given him), he made sure to use his height to his advantage to hide Leo’s smaller body as he grabbed his shirt collar. Whispering in a threatening tone, he said, “I don’t give a fuck if you’re a goddamn royal or not. If I find out that you hurt my little brother in any way...well, let’s just say my offensive spatial magic may not be as good as Langris’ but it’s enough to cut your dick off and send it to a different dimension. Understood?”

Leo gulped and nodded. _I guess I still haven’t gotten to Finral yet. But I suppose his behavior is understandable_ , he thought.

“Good,” Finral said. He lowered Leo back to his feet and fixed his collar for him. “Oh, Asta, I think Leo’s ready to get going now. Aren’t you, Leo?” he cooed, earning a nod from the shorter boy.

Asta knew what was going on, and he both loved and hated it. He loved the fact that Finral was being so overprotective of him. But he hated the fact that Finral was being so overprotective of him. He understood why the dirty-blonde was acting that way, but that didn’t mean that he had to threaten his date. So, to get back at him he called, “Ok! Come on, Leo!” With that, he sidestepped Finral and linked arms with Leo, surprising both men. Leo blushed at the contact, remaining silent as Asta escorted himself and Leo towards the Royal Capital. He ignored Finral’s shouting and flipped him off when he kept yelling “distance”, knowing that the gesture wasn’t taken in total offense. He didn’t notice Finral step through his portal, beginning his stakeout.


	18. Chapter 18

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_Near the shopping district_

“So, where do you want to go, beautiful?” Leo said more confidently now that the two were away from Finral. He made sure to keep an arm wrapped around Asta, knowing what he felt with all the men roaming around them.

With only slight tremors for once, Asta blushed at the pet name. “I d-don’t know...how about we go s-shopping?” Asta suggested.

“I mean sure, if you want. But may I ask why?” Leo questioned politely, remembering his manners that Fuegoleon had taught him during his “dating tutoring sessions”.

“I was thinking about buying some new clothes,” Asta answered, relaxing now that they had entered the shopping district that was sparsely populated thanks to it being a weekday and all the commoners were still in school or at work.

Ears perking up, Leo smirked at a certain thought. “No problem at all...may I watch you?”

And there went all the calm as Asta’s blush returned with a vengeance. “L-Leo, y-you pervert. I w-will not allow y-you to look at m-me while I c-change!” he whisper-yelled to not attract attention.

“What? I only meant that someone should be able to tell you whether you look good in what you choose to wear,” Leo huffed, acting offended. At that, he noticed Asta’s blush recede, only to come back again when he had heard Leo add, “Though I’m not completely opposed to your idea…”

Before Asta could answer clumsily like he had been for the past hour, they thankfully made it to the store Ms. Vanessa had recommended earlier at breakfast. Finally being able to find a distraction from his flustered state, Asta charged forward, tugging Leo behind him, who was surprised by Asta’s strength. They didn’t notice Finral step through his portal, following close behind.

The process took a couple of hours. Who knew Asta was so picky? They went through rack after rack of clothing, trying to find something that “spoke to him”, which always prompted Leo to snort mockingly. When Asta did begin fitting clothes, however, he was surprised to find Leo protective of him, immediately turning down any clothing that was too revealing. This surprised Leo as well because he never minded when his flings wore revealing clothing, in fact, he encouraged it. Yet, there he was, scolding Asta for finding a shirt that revealed his stomach or a pair of shorts that should have been deemed illegal for any male to wear (according to Leo).

Ultimately, they agreed on a plain, crimson-red t-shirt (Leo’s suggestion) that was under a black jacket with golden buttons and gold trim; he left the upper-half of the buttons unbuttoned because Leo liked seeing the red; the collar, also having gold trim, was high and left unfolded. As for his lower body, Asta decided to match the jacket’s black color but with no gold trims because he felt that would be too much gold to which Leo agreed; his pants were held up by a brown leather belt that had a gold clasp with the three-leaf clover in the center; he also had another belt that hung lower for his grimoire; finally, his boots, like his pants, were all black. Unfortunately, the sizes were slightly too big or too small, but that was no problem because Vanessa could adjust them with her thread magic. Leo insisted that he pay for it, but Asta said that Noelle would be mad at him if he didn’t spend the money she had given him. As they walked out to find an early-afternoon lunch, Leo grabbed Asta’s hand unconsciously while he carried the bags of his new clothes in the other hand. Asta didn’t mind at all, leaning closer to Leo and teasing him for his suddenly flustered state. They didn’t notice a pair of amber-colored eyes a couple of meters away, witnessing the entire scene.

_Royal Capital_

_Shopping District_

_A couple of minutes before Yuno sees Asta and Leo holding hands_

“I don’t see why we have to buy the orphans clothes. The money I send them is more than enough for Sister Lily to buy fabrics to sew them clothes that actually fit them. Plus, they can pick the designs they want,” scoffed Yuno. He still couldn’t believe that Mimosa had been able to convince him to go shopping with her. He needed to keep training so that he could catch up to Asta. Thankfully, she didn’t take too long since they were now paying for the heaps of clothes that she had picked for the orphans.

“Oh hush up, Yuno. I’m your best friend, so I’m supposed to look out for you and your family just like I know you would with mine,” said Mimosa as she handed the lady at the counter the exact amount of yul needed to pay for the clothes. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and huffed, “So the least you could do is thank me, Yuno.”

Yuno kept silent, unable to disagree with what the orange-haired girl had just said. She and Yuno had grown close over the past couple of weeks after Yuno apologized to her for his behavior that night that that dirty-blonde had visited. Yuno even occasionally gave her the genuine smile that was usually reserved for a certain grey-haired loud-mouth. That was another thing--because the two had gotten so close, Mimosa was able to coax out of Yuno his feelings for Asta, which was something he had never done up until then, but he felt that he could trust Mimosa for some reason. It also helped that Mimosa was eyeing another person that Yuno couldn’t get her to spill his name. Yuno didn’t notice, however, that when he talked to Mimosa about Asta, the pool of envy and hatred in his stomach slowly but surely receded, allowing his love for Asta to dominate again.

But the effect Mimosa had on his heart didn’t prepare him for what he would see after they walked out of the store. There, only a couple of meters away, was Asta, but he wasn’t alone. He was with someone Yuno had hoped he would never be with in his entire life if Yuno had to say anything about it. His blood boiled, and it took everything in his power to not activate his wind magic right then and there because he worried for the people around him that would have gotten hurt in the crossfire. He was going to make his way to confront the two when he saw something that made his heart break in two--Asta and Leo were holding hands and laughing. He was disgusted by the gesture, but he was more disgusted by Asta for being able to choose a man-whore like Leopold Vermillion to be with.

The only person that was able to snap him out of his current state was Mimosa, who had also seen the scene unfold. She had heard from her cousin Noelle, whom she wrote to often, that Asta had his eyes on Leo but wanted to test the waters first before he would put a label on it. “Come on, Yuno. Let’s go back to headquarters so you can train.” She knew training would allow him to release his pent-up emotions that he hid so expertly behind his stoic face that he still held now despite seeing his crush holding hands with her cousin. For once, she wouldn’t mind Captain Vangeance sparring with him because he would then be too exhausted to think. It was a horrible way of trying to relax one’s emotion if someone asked her, but this was Yuno, so it only made sense.

Yuno allowed himself to be dragged by Mimosa down the other way, only to bump into a certain dirty-blonde that was going in the opposite direction. He looked up to see him blushing. 

“O-Oh, hey there, Yuno,” greeted Finral, smiling timidly. Then, he noticed a telltale sign that Asta had coached him on one night--Yuno’s eyes were looking downwards to the left and his nostrils were flared. Yuno was sad and trying hard not to cry. “Is everything ok, Yuno?” He didn’t get an answer but surprisingly, this was a good thing, according to Asta, because Yuno would just tell people to go away. _Hug him,_ said the voice of Asta in his head. So, he did just that--he opened his arms in an offering rather than go straight for the hug that Asta had told him to do in these kinds of situations. If Finral was going to do it his way, then he would let Yuno come to him when he was ready.

Yuno, though not showing it, was shocked by the gesture. His mind told him to punch him in the face for reminding him of a grey-haired boy that he refused to name right now, but his body moved against what his mind said. He took Finral’s hug and rested his head on his shoulder.

They stood there in silence for a couple of minutes as Finral did what he usually did whenever Asta got sad--he stroked Yuno’s hair, which seemed to make the raven-haired boy relax. He tried to ignore the smug look on Mimosa’s face, who was enjoying the scene too much to interrupt. Remembering that he had not told Yuno who he was, he whispered, “My name’s Finral, by the way. Finral Roulacase.”

Yuno, again against his mind’s orders, clutched Finral tighter, enjoying the embrace for some reason. “Hi, Finral. I’m Yuno,” he whispered back, earning a light chuckle from the dirty-blonde, making Yuno blush because for some reason, he liked how Finral chuckled. Thinking that that was enough hugging, he released himself from Finral’s grasp. He straightened himself and said as flatly as ever, “Thank you for the kind gesture, Finral. But Mimosa and I should really get going now.” He didn’t even wait for a reply as he dragged Mimosa to their headquarters, wanting to train to forget everything that had just transpired.

“I guess I’ll see you around, my love,” Finral said to himself, hugging himself to calm his excitement. He teleported to the flower shop to buy Yuno another bouquet of blue roses and write him a love note, completely abandoning his stakeout.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_An hour or so after Asta and Leo left the shop_

“You’re staring,” Asta stated plainly as he took another bite of his chocolate cheesecake. Asta had discovered he had a sweet-tooth for chocolate ever since Ms. Charmy stuffed a piece of chocolate cake in his face. Since then, he had to keep it under control because sometimes he would eat so much chocolate that he puked. It was his greatest gastronomic weakness--well that and plain-baked tatoes, which wasn’t available at the restaurant he and Leo had chosen to eat at for lunch because they didn’t serve such “primitive” delicacies, according to the waiter, which had angered both boys, but the growling in their stomachs forced them to stay because all the other restaurants in the area were too expensive for Asta’s taste.

Leo’s eyes widened at the statement. Had he really been staring? He shook his head and stared down at his own untouched dessert--the same as Asta’s because he, too, liked chocolate but not as much as his date, who was already on his third chocolate cheesecake. He stared back again at Asta and discovered why he was so distracted. Smirking, he flirted, “Is it my fault you have such beautiful eyes?”

Asta paused, thankful that he had already swallowed his last piece of cheesecake because he knew he would’ve choked on it. It was growing difficult to ignore the pounding in his chest now that he couldn’t attribute it to walking. Wanting to change the subject, he cleared his throat and said, “S-So...I never got to finish my story about one of my missions in Rayaka Village…” 

Being both Magic Knights, it was only natural to exchange stories about their missions and training--it was what every Magic Knight lived and breathed after all. Asta found himself fascinated by Leo’s missions, which the other claimed to be “boring”, but Asta thought they were awesome...ok, some were boring, but he just liked hearing Leo talk like nothing could stop him--maybe because it reminded Asta about who he used to be before...Anyways, when it was Asta’s turn, he, as per usual, exaggerated everything. Even his first mission, which was to find and retrieve a stolen heirloom that belonged to a noble family, was exaggerated--the thief was apparently this woman-cat humanoid that flared toxic gas from its nostrils (a crazy cat lady who smoked). This got Leo to laugh, which Asta found that he liked more than Leo’s voice, so Asta continued on with recounting the rest of his missions, which were actually a lot now that Asta thought about it.

But Asta turned serious when he talked about his mission in Rayaka Village. It was supposed to be simple, which was why Asta was assigned with Noelle and Magna (Magna because he knew the place and Noelle because she needed more experience for her mana control)--kill the wild boars that had been tormenting the small village’s farmlands. But things took a turn for the worst when the three saw and felt that there was a dense, magic-created fog that swept across the village. As they got closer, the fog seemed to be so thick that even Asta’s mana sensing was thrown in a loop, so they opted to use Asta’s Demon-Destroyer Sword to cut through it, making their way to the village center with Magna’s help. They didn’t expect unknown enemies (Asta, as per Captain Yami’s orders, lied that they were unknown despite them revealing that they were working for some new group called the Eye of the Midnight Sun) that included an ice magic user. They also didn’t expect the mayor, Magna’s idol, to be dead, having futilely attempted to protect his fellow villagers. The battle was easy by Asta’s standards thanks to Noelle and Magna fighting along with him and providing support, but the outcome left him with unanswered questions. Who would have the resolve to kill themselves without thinking twice? Why would they attack a village in the boonies? And why did the anti-magic bird that stuck with him all the time bring with it a weird-looking stone?

Deciding that he should keep his flirting under control, Leo entertained Asta’s change in subject. Taking a bite out of chocolate cheesecake, he repeated what Asta was thinking (to Asta’s surprise). “Why would your anti-magic bird bring that stone?” he asked, pointing his fork at the bird that perched itself on Asta’s head, looking blankly at Leo when he pointed at it.

“I don’t know, Leo. I only know as much as I’ve told you. Captain Yami told me to let it go, so I guess I’ll just have to let it go...for now,” answered Asta with a hint of his usual tenacity.

For some reason, Leo liked it when Asta spoke like he was going to follow his own way. It made Leo...happy? _No, that’s too simple_ , thought Leo. He shook off guessing the word, thinking that it wasn’t worth it at the moment as long as he was with Asta. With that, the two continued eating their lunch and talking about whatever because “whatever” just felt natural when Leo was with Asta, vice versa--they didn’t need to talk about the same things over and over.

After lunch, they decided to go to Clover Park for no reason at all. They didn’t need a reason as long as they were with each other, not that Leo would realize that fact or Asta would admit it. It was already late-afternoon after Asta had declared another unexpected game of tag that something almost happened. _Almost_. Asta was running around, weaving around trees, bushes, statues, and people to throw Leo off course since he was “it”. But Leo was prepared for this, so instead of blindly following Asta, he went to where Asta was headed since he was running without a care in the world. Quickly, Leo caught Asta and pinned him down after they had gone tumbling down the small hill they were on.

“You caught me! You caught me!” Asta giggled gleefully.

“I’ll always catch you, baby,” Leo answered before he even realized he had used a pet name on Asta.

Asta’s eyes opened in shock, and he began squirming under Leo’s hold. Then, he looked into those turquoise-colored eyes and became entranced before he knew what happened. Leo’s body acted against his better judgement as he tried to close the distance between his and those supple, pink lips. Asta’s heart was practically jumping out of his chest now. It was getting harder to breathe...But then, Asta snapped out of his trance before Leo could eliminate the last few centimeters between them. Images of _that_ day began flashing in his mind, but Asta didn’t cry for some reason. He just squirmed in his position, trying to free himself. “L-Leo...p-please...not now,” he muttered.

Leo paused and opened his eyes, realizing what he was about to do. He looked into Asta’s eyes again--desire was replaced with hurt, begging Leo to stop what he was about to do. Did he do this to him? Did he break Asta’s trust again--on their first date? He didn’t speak. He simply just stood and helped Asta up. Asta called his name, but he ignored it. He started walking with Asta following behind, holding his hand and squeezing it to try to get his attention, but it didn’t work. So, they just walked to wherever their feet took them in an awkward silence. Both men were trying to figure out how they could make it up to the other for what they had done. The anti-magic bird was trying to soothe Asta by rubbing its wing across Asta’s forehead--something that Asta always noticed it did whenever it saw Asta in a bad mood.

As they walked through the streets of the Royal Capital, Asta saw a familiar white furball with red eyes. It was the albino lion cub Asta occasionally talked with through the window whenever he visited the Royal Capital, which became unfortunately seldom the past few weeks due to the onset of Asta’s missions. Nevertheless, the albino lion cub always seemed to like it when Asta visited. Even now, as it saw him approaching, it stood up on its four paws, wagging its tail slowly, and pawing at Asta through the window, beckoning the grey-haired boy to come to it. Almost immediately, Asta released Leo’s hand and came running for the first friend he had made outside of Hage Village. “Hey there, boo-boo. Did you miss me?” cooed Asta like he was talking to a baby. The cub had grown a little since he had last met it, but Asta didn’t mind. It was still his “boo-boo”.

_So cute_ , thought Leo, nose bleeding at the sight. Then, his eyes widened when he saw a price tag on the window that read “Albino Lion Cub - 1,000 yul”. _That’s it_ , thought Leo. He didn’t know why he was going to spend so much money for one man, but it just felt right. He ran past Asta, who was distracted by the cub, and entered the store. He stepped to the counter and asked the owner, “Can I buy that albino lion cub, sir?”

The man looked at the lion cub that the boy was talking about and saw it communicating with that grey-haired boy it was so fond of. Then, he turned his gaze to Leo when he noticed his attire and Crimson Lion Kings robe. Smirking, he said, “2,000 yul--no less than that I’m afraid.”

Leo was shocked at the price that was double the amount that was indicated on the window. He shouldn’t have been when he remembered that he was in the Royal Capital where everyone knew the Silvas, Vermillions, and Kira Clovers. He glared at the man, making him flinch, but didn’t speak a single word. Normally, he wouldn’t flaunt his money because he was always taught not to follow in the footsteps of the royal families, but for one reason or another, he thought that anything for Asta was worth it. So, he took out a small bag full of yul that carried way more than the specified amount and tossed it on the counter.

The man was shocked after he opened the bag and saw the outrageous amount of gold in the bag. He nodded at Leo and walked over to the cage that held the lion cub. The lion cub backed away as far from the man as its cage would let him. The man knew why it did that, but spoke none of it. He grabbed it by the nape to keep it calm and handed it to Leo, who cradled it in his arms like a baby. Before he left to go back to counting the coins, he said, “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Lord Leopold.” 

Leo simply nodded back, biting his tongue. The lion cub seemed to like Leo, nuzzling its head into his shirt. He could see why Asta liked it. As he stepped out, he noticed that Asta was panicking, pounding at the glass window to get the owner’s attention. Leo almost felt sorry, but he knew Asta would be overjoyed to find out where his little friend went. _Mother is so going to kill me_ , he thought, remembering how much money was in that bag. “Hey, Asta,” he called.

Before Asta could react to someone calling his name, the albino lion cub hopped out of Leo’s arms and ambled towards the grey-haired boy. Asta gasped when he felt it wrap around his leg from behind and rub its head against his shin. Asta crouched down and touched the top of its head cautiously, thinking that this must’ve been some sort of illusion magic, but it didn’t shimmer away or disappear, leaving Asta staring in shock as red eyes stared back at him curiously. Its fur was the softest, fluffiest thing that Asta felt in his entire life. It tilted its head to move Asta’s hand, and Asta obliged by scratching the back of its ear because it felt like that’s what it wanted. It definitely wanted it as it purred loudly and leaned its head deeper into the touch. “Boo-Boo…” he cooed. Then, he realized who had called for him. Looking up, his lips curled up into a warm smile as he saw Leo grinning sheepishly, wiping the blood from his nose. “Thank you so much, Leo.” Asta paused and the curl on his lips turned downwards as he remembered the price he had seen for his little buddy. The lion cub seemed to feel Asta’s emotions and tried to soothe him by pawing at his hand. “I can’t take it, Leo...No matter how much I want this little furball,” he sighed, petting the lion cub, who playfully bit his hand.

Wiping the last of the blood from his nose, Leo said, “Asta, it’s the least I could do to make it up to you for...escalating things without your permission.” Blushing and averting his gaze, he added, “Plus, _you’ll_ have to explain to Mother why I lost my month’s allowance if you don’t accept my gift.”

“Did you just threaten me with your Mother so I’d take your gift?” snorted Asta. He received a cheeky grin from Leo. Though Asta could just tell Marisol the truth, he kind of didn’t want his date to die, so he accepted the gift. Scratching the back of the lion cub’s ear again, he asked it, “What should we call you, Boo-Boo, huh? Snowflake?” No response, “Ivory?” No response, “Pearl?” No response, “Luna?” No response, “Daisy?” No response, “Sundae?” Again, no response. (Author: I literally went through this list myself.)

“Do you really think that lion could understand you? Do you even know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Leo scoffed.

“Yes, it can understand me,” answered Asta, a bit irritated by another non-believer. _Honestly, just like Yuno_ , thought Asta. He picked up the lion cub and cradled it on its back. He checked to see and saw that it- she was a female. Suddenly, a lightbulb turned on in his head. “Nala.” The lioness licked Asta’s cheek with its rough tongue, eliciting a giggle. Then, he remembered all the flirting Leo had done to make him flustered today. This was the perfect time to get his revenge. 

Asta grinned schemingly. Nala seemed to understand as she tried to make herself cuter (if that was possible) to help her new master. “Is that what you want me to call you? Nala?” He paused for a second and added, “Is that what you want me and _daddy_ Leo to call you?”

Leo froze at the pet name. Asta really didn’t know what he was playing with because Leo loved that pet name. He often made the guys he was with scream it while they fucked. Ignoring the growing tent in his pants, he walked over to Asta. He crouched and brought his lips to Asta’s ear. In a low voice, he said, “If you don’t want me giving you your _treat_ right here and now, then I suggest you let me do the flirting here, _baby_.” The pet name didn’t slip out this time--he meant it in every way.

Asta shuddered at the intimate distance. He was thankful for Nala and his anti-magic bird because they scratched and pecked at Leo, making him fall back. “That’s what you get, you handsome jerk!” he laughed mockingly. Then, he noticed Leo was now flustered. “Serves you right!” he shouted, pointing at Leo’s reddening face.

“S-S-Shut up!” Leo shouted back. Taking a couple of deep breaths and ignoring the fact that they were making a scene, Leo shouted, “It’s your fault for making me feel like this!”

Asta was taken aback by the assertion. Did he mean..? “Like what, Leo?” he asked. He dropped Nala to the ground and walked over to Leo, offering him a hand to help him up.

Taking Asta’s hand, Leo allowed the grey-haired boy to hoist him up. “T-Thanks,” he said shyly. He tried to find an answer to Asta’s question. Why was Leo doing all of this? Just what the hell was wrong with him? Leo pulled his hair in frustration. “I don’t know, Asta,” Leo groaned. “I don’t know why you make me feel this way. I don’t know why I agreed to a date. I don’t know why I like buying clothes, having lunch, playing tag, and just fucking talking to you. I don’t know why I resisted my urge to kiss you. I don’t know why I’ve turned down all my chances to fuck just to be with you. I don’t know why I wanted to buy you a fucking lioness with all my money. I don’t know why I want to see you happy. I don’t fucking know, Asta. I. Don’t. Know.”

Again, Asta stood there, stunned by Leo’s words. Was he really this dense? _Well, in fairness, he probably has been with and rejected so many guys that he doesn’t really know that feeling...but still...you’re so stupid, Leo. You’re definitely worse than Yuno_ , Asta thought. He stepped forward and grabbed Leo’s nape to touch his forehead with his. Wasting no time, he said, “Let’s get get out of here, Leo. It’s getting late.”

Leo dropped his hands that were pulling his hair. Frustration leaving his body, he sighed in relief. “Ok.” With that, Leo grabbed Asta’s hand as they made their way through the streets of the Royal Capital once more, heading to the Black Bulls’ headquarters as the sun was setting over the horizon. Nala didn’t seem to need a collar and leash because she just followed her new master, growling at whomever that got too close.

_Black Bulls’ Base, outside_

_A few minutes after dusk_

“Nala really seems to like us,” Leo said, scratching the back of the albino lioness’s ear, earning a purr from the cub that was sitting next to Asta.

Scratching her other ear, Asta wondered aloud, “I wonder what she can do as a magical beast..?”

“Guess, we’ll just find out whenever that happens,” Leo answered, smiling at the white furball that was gladly accepting all the affection she was getting. Afterwards…

Silence. The two stood there in an awkward silence. Neither male made a move--they just stood there, scratching Nala’s ears. Nala, on the other hand, had had enough affection from her master and her master’s dense “friend”. She just sat there, no longer purring, watching the two exchange glaces but never catching each other. She rolled her eyes and removed herself from the ridiculous silence, lying in the dirt in front of the door that led inside the base. Her master’s other friend, the bird that sat on top of his head, flew over and perched itself on top of her head. 

_Did Nala just roll her eyes at me?_ thought the two boys, who were now standing and staring at anything but the other.

_I’m Nimbus, what’s your name?_ the lioness asked telepathically,

_Secré_ , the bird answered back,

_Can we be friends?_ Nimbus asked.

_Of course_ , the bird answered back, using its wing to rub the lioness’s forehead, making the cat purr. _What would you like me to call you? Nimbus or Nala?_

_I like my new master’s name, but I prefer the name my old master gave me_ , Nimbus replied.

_The fat, bald man that manhandled you?_ asked Secré.

_No. I don’t remember their name, but I knew they were very nice unlike that mean man_ , Nimbus said, giving a low growl.

_I understand. Now what about your new master?_ asked Secré.

_I like him very much. He’s very nice to me like my old master...but he seems scared to admit that he loves the guy he’s talking to_ , observed Nimbus as she saw her new master try to start a conversation, only to fall silent and his dense friend doing the same thing.

_Let’s just say that he was hurt by a very bad man and lost someone very important to him_ , answered Secré. The bird chose to use euphemisms because it seemed like the lioness also had the mind of a child.

_Ok...so who do you think will say it first?_ asked Nimbus curiously.

_We’ll just have to find out, don’t we?_ replied Secré.

“So…” Leo started, voice trailing off as he rubbed the back of his head.

“So…” copied Asta.

“Do you think you can tell me what I’m feeling?” asked Leo bluntly. He had been wanting to ask the question since they left for the Black Bulls’ headquarters, but Asta seemed to be avoiding the question every time he brought it up.

“No,” answered Asta tersely. If Leo was going to find out, then he needed to find out himself. Then maybe--just maybe--Asta would put a label on it.

“What do you mean by that!?” groaned Leo discontentedly. Who was going to tell him if Brother nor Mother nor Asta were going to tell him? Leo pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his anger flaring up. He didn’t want to scare Asta.

_So cute_ , thought Asta, _Come on, Leo...make the first move...make the first move_ . He felt his heart beating in his chest again, waiting in anticipation for something--anything. But there was nothing. Leo just stared at him blankly. The silence returned for a good five minutes. _Oh for Christ’s sake_ , thought Asta. He pulled Leo’s shirt collar to his height and crashed his lips against his. The kiss was sloppy--it was really more like mauling than kissing when Asta’s teeth crashed into Leo’s, and his nose accidentally slammed into his--but it was Asta’s first. Plus, he didn’t plan on Leo getting the message. He shoved himself from Leo and said, “Let that be a clue for you, idiot.” With that, he turned on his heel and led Nala into her new home. He figured that this was a nice way of paying Leo back for turning down the kiss earlier and for Nala.

Meanwhile, Leo just stood there, dumbfounded. Asta had just kissed him. _Asta_ kissed _him_ when it had almost been the other way around earlier. _Let that be a clue, idiot_ , Asta’s voice rang in his head. What did he mean by that? A clue for what exactly? That Leo was out of his game? He’d already established that. That Asta’s kiss was sloppy as fuck? It was actually ok, considering the fact that Leo kind of liked it. Frustration returning again, he called out his broom and headed back home before he went bald from pulling at his hair.

That night, four males laid in bed, restless. Leo thought that he was going to get the beating of his life, which he preferred over his mother’s bone-crushing hug after finding out what he had done for Asta all day. He tried to ask his parents and older brother again, but they just kept saying, _You’ll figure it out soon enough_. Yuno was too exhausted from his training with Captain Vangeance to sleep. He was supposed to be mad at Asta and wanting to murder Leo but for some reason, he wasn’t. For some reason, his mind drifted to Finral and how secure he felt in his arms. He waved the thought off, attributing it to his mixed emotions. He didn’t notice that his heart was salvaged after it had broken. Finral, after recovering from the scare that was a lioness walking into his and Asta’s bedroom, was giddy as he and Asta talked about their days (Finral made sure to omit the fact that he was spying on Asta and his date). Asta was happy for Finral, giving him more tips on how to approach Yuno and get to his heart, but he didn’t like how Finral claimed that he was just biding his time for the right moment. In reality, Asta was trying to avoid talking about Leo at all costs, afraid that if he talked about him, that pounding in his chest would return. That night, four hearts--one shattered, one confused, one aching, one nearly-broken--beat in sync for one second, but none of its owners took notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “They’re all hopeless,” said IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL with a heavy sigh.


	19. Chapter 19

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Outside a dungeon_

_A few months later_

It has been a few months now since that fateful day where Yuno’s heart had broken but was repaired. He was able to pressure Mimosa into getting Noelle to give details about when Asta was with Leo. It was petty of him--he knew that already with Mimosa reminding him every time their conversations drifted to Leo or Asta, but he wanted--no--needed to know. Maybe it was because he had been able to use Finral, who always seemed glad to help Yuno, to find out that Asta was still ambivalent about his feelings towards the royal. Maybe it was because he held a small bit of hope that whatever he saw that day was just some ruse, a trick of the eye, that his mind had created from his worst fears. 

But it wasn’t--it wasn’t a ruse. Every time Yuno saw the two together holding hands, laughing with each other, kissing, flirting, and enjoying each other’s company like some happy couple, Yuno’s heart would crack...but it didn’t break. It never broke, and he didn’t know why. He didn’t know that every time he came flying home back to his room in the Golden Dawn headquarters or to the training grounds, a certain dirty-blonde spatial mage was always there to prevent his heart from breaking. He didn’t know that every time Finral sat there selflessly to console him, the dirty-blonde would make sure that whenever they hugged or cuddled, he hid his aggrieved face where Yuno couldn’t see it. He didn’t know that Finral was his secret admirer, who waited patiently for Yuno to come, enduring every, single metaphorical punch to the gut every time the raven-haired boy called him a “good friend” or an “amazing friend” or a “very close friend”. Because that was it--Yuno only saw him as a friend and nothing more. 

Finral endured being used by the man he loved to obtain information about someone that loved him only as a brother. Every time Finral declined to disclose any information, he would cave in whenever he would see Yuno look so melancholy, pleading Finral to tell him with those beautiful, amber-colored eyes. He always caved. He always told him where Asta was--if he wasn’t on a mission or training his ass off, then he would be with Leo somewhere in the Royal Capital or at the Vermillion Estate. In fact, Asta was with Leo so much that he often slept over at the Vermillions’ (in a spare room that was as far away from Leo as possible, of course...as per Finral’s request). He always kept Yuno’s negative feelings--anger, hatred, envy, jealousy, fear, depression, and a plethora of others--at bay. He acted as Yuno’s anchor that kept him from drifting off in the incessant sea of despair. Yes, he dabbled with unrequited love, but he didn’t care. He endured everything so that one day--no matter how long that needed to be--Yuno would open his eyes and see that Finral loved him. Finral loved him so much that he dared to even tell Asta that he wanted to marry Yuno. _Whenever that day comes, I’ll be waiting with a ring_ , Finral would always say every time Asta would try to pressure him into telling Yuno the truth.

It would be a while before Asta and Yuno would reunite again thanks to the foster-brothers’ busy schedules. Neither knew that a certain masked captain was responsible for manipulating the two’s schedules so that they never met. The masked captain used this to his advantage, _In order to become as strong as Asta_ , he would claim every time his raven-haired subordinate would ask...but never stronger. No, that wouldn’t be beneficial at all to his--or rather, the voice in his head’s--plans. Unfortunately, William could only do so much before sparking suspicions from his colleagues, particularly Yami and Fugeoleon...and for some reason, Nozel Silva. He was forced to stop this crude behavior, allowing fate to intertwine the two foster-brother’s strings once more...

“A-Asta...you dumbass…” Yuno whispered agonizingly at the unconscious grey-haired form under him that was being healed by one of his best friends, Mimosa. Yuno’s three-man squad (Yuno, Mimosa, and Klaus) was sent by Captain Vangeance to explore a dungeon that appeared near the border between the Clover and Diamond Kingdoms. They were told to be on high-alert for the possibility of the Diamond Kingdom sending its own squad to explore the dungeon. Yuno, having trained so much with Captain Vangeance, saw this as a mere test of skill against a bunch of “weaklings”, yet he took it instantly the moment he had heard Asta’s name. 

The reunion was short-lived, however, when Asta chose to save his squadmate Luck over being with Yuno. It pissed Yuno off so much, but he went livid when he saw a crystal magic Diamond soldier injure Klaus and nearly kill Mimosa. He poured out almost all of his mana into defeating the soldier, but nothing seemed to faze him, taking Yuno’s most powerful spells as simple gusts of wind that would have eviscerated any other mage. He and Klaus would have died, too, by the gigantic crystal sword that had hovered above their heads had it not been for Asta cutting it in half with his pitch-black greatsword that he called the “Demon-Slayer Sword”. He, Klaus, Luck, Mimosa, and Noelle just stood there in awe at Asta’s raw power, finding it difficult to keep up as he cut through all of the crystal mage’s attacks like a hot knife on a stick of butter at superhuman speed.

The two Magic Knight squads had thought that it was over, so they decided to explore the dungeon room that resonated with so much mana. They had all toyed around with the little, ancient trinkets and relics that they found among mountains of gold. Yuno had planned to use this time to confront Asta about Leo and everything, but Asta was nowhere to be found. So, he had gone searching for him until his eyes caught sight of a scroll that seemed to be beckoning him to open it. He had done just that, but he couldn’t make out the words written on it. Suddenly, the text had started to glow green along with his grimoire and in that instant, the text disappeared. He was going to continue his search for Asta when Luck had announced--a second too late--that the crystal mage had returned. The entire group was trapped in crystals that had sprouted from the ground beneath them.

All those events had led up to now where Mimosa was trying to heal Asta’s wounds. Asta had tried to defeat the crystal mage once more, protecting everyone, including an injured Noelle that was then being treated by Mimosa. He almost came out unscathed. _Almost_ . He had been able to deflect all of the crystal mage’s attacks like before, using a different pitch-black shortsword that Yuno assumed he had discovered in the dungeon. But experience had dominated over talent and skill that battle. As the battle had drawn to a close with Asta nearing victory, he failed to deflect a spinning crystal blade that embedded itself into Asta’s stomach, making him cough up blood and collapse, unable to block the gigantic crystal sword that was on its way to chop Asta in half. The sight had brought back the memories of _that_ day--it was always _that_ day. It also brought back the feelings of helplessness that Yuno had felt. He had thrashed and flailed his limbs but to no avail. But just like that day, a creature had come to his aid, but this time in the form of a small fairy. It looked like it had just woken up when it yawned and blew some wind at the sword, shattering it to pieces and knocking out its user. It had freed everyone from their bindings and before Yuno could comprehend what had just happened, he gathered everyone and high-tailed it out of the dungeon, ignoring Asta’s quiet pleas to save the crystal mage that had tried to kill them not too long ago.

“Don’t...call...your rival...a dumbass...you handsome idiot,” said Asta in a shaky breath. He was captured in a strong hug from Yuno only to have both him and Yuno be captured in a stronger hug by none other than...Klaus.

“Oh, I’m so glad you two are ok! I was worried sick,” Klaus cried.

“Can’t...breathe…” gasped the two foster-brothers, struggling to break free from the bear hug.

Klaus released the two and fixed his glasses. Cheeks burning a light shade of pink, he said, “I’m proud to call you two my fellow Magic Knights. Let me be the first noble to acknowledge you both in that way and not some lowly peasants...I’m truly sorry for ever doubting either of you.”

“It’s ok, Four-Eyes, but…” Asta started, voice trailing off towards the end.

“...You’re not the first noble to acknowledge us,” Yuno deadpanned, finishing Asta’s sentence.

“In fact, Yuno and I have already had royals acknowledge us,” added Asta, pointing at Noelle, who started blushing. Yuno also pointed at Mimosa, who grinned sheepishly and blindly insulted her silver-haired cousin for looking like a tomato.

“Pfft, whatever. Let’s get going, everyone. We have to report this to our captains,” huffed Klaus, fixing his glasses once more. With that, the group headed home. Asta snuggled in Yuno’s embrace, but he failed to see the frown on Yuno’s face. Both boys remained quiet--one enjoying the warmth of the first man he could ever trust and one trying to disregard the lingering dread he felt for being unable to protect his beloved once more.

_Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room_

_Nighttime_

_In through your nose, out through your mouth_ , thought Yuno, recalling what Finral had taught him to stay calm. Yuno had been staring at the ceiling of his bedroom for what felt like hours now. After he had completed the mission report an hour ago, he had dinner and went straight to his room to drown himself in his sorrows again. All the sparring, all the training with his captain had prepared him for that moment when Asta needed him...but he failed...again. Why was he such a failure? Why did he have to rely on Asta when Asta was relying on him? Before he could spiral down any further, a familiar mana made its entrance as one of his best friends stepped through a portal. He lifted his head slightly to make sure it was Finral because he doubted his mana sensing abilities at the moment.

“Hey, Yuno,” Finral greeted his raven-haired beloved softly. Asta wanted to go visit Yuno, but Finral insisted, sending Asta and Nala to Leo’s for good measure. He wanted to seize every opportunity he could have with the man he loved.

Without voicing a single word, Yuno opened his arms as a signal for Finral to come to him. Finral obliged and laid himself on top of Yuno’s body. Yuno breathed out a sigh of relief at the weight that enveloped him as he buried his face in Finral’s neck. They had discovered that this position was comforting for Yuno after one particular evening when Yuno had seen, from a distance, Asta kissing Leo on the lips. 

He didn’t know that Asta was trying to give a dense Leo another one of his clues. Regardless of whatever that meant, it was a dagger through Yuno’s heart that very nearly split it once more until his best friend Finral came to the rescue once again. That night, no amount of cuddling had been able to make him feel better, so Finral thought outside of the box and laid on top of Yuno. Yuno had squirmed under him at first, flustered at the close contact, but gave in when he could smell Finral’s cologne--a mélange of green apples, fresh mint, and lemon--that Yuno liked so much for some reason. As Yuno inhaled the scent, his body relaxed more. “Hi, Finral,” sighed Yuno, smiling into Finral’s neck. Then, his mind drifted to the man in question. “Is Asta ok?”

“Asta’s as loud as ever,” Finral snorted. He decided it was best to omit the fact that Asta was with Leo right now since Finral could guess that if Yuno needed him this much, then it was more than likely about the two boys. “How about you, ba- Yuno?” _Damnit, Finral_ , he chided himself.

Yuno had found it difficult to lie to Finral. He could easily lie to Mimosa or Klaus (not that he did...that often). He didn’t know why, but he always felt the urge to tell him the truth. Yuno attributed it to his mixed emotions whenever Finral was around. “Not really…”

“What’s wrong, Yuno?” asked Finral. Asta and Noelle had already recounted to him the happenings in the dungeon. But it was a pain in the ass to follow their oral reports because Asta was...well, Asta...and Noelle was just like Asta except she somehow came out the hero despite what the mission report from Mimosa had said. He knew he could rely on Yuno to tell him everything, beginning to end, so that he could hear his side of the story factually and see how he felt in all of this. That was exactly what he did as he laid on top of Yuno, listening to his tranquil voice retell his side of the story. Once he finished, Finral asked, “So you felt helpless because you were entangled in the crystal trap, forced to watch Asta protect you when you felt like it should’ve been the other way around...like _that_ day.”

“Yes, exactly. You know me so well, Finral,” stated Yuno plainly, smile tugging at his lips again. He wasn’t surprised anymore because it seemed Finral always knew how Yuno felt even better than himself sometimes. This was probably the reason why he trusted Finral so much to tell him about _that_ day, even if he should’ve respected Asta’s privacy, not knowing that Asta had already disclosed the information.

“It’s my job, right?” Finral snorted. _As your lover_ , he wanted to add. Then, he felt Langris’ mana coming near. He could tell Yuno felt it, too, feeling him shift under him. He was thankful he could confide in Yuno the reason as to why he always left abruptly. He lifted his head and touched his forehead to Yuno’s. Amber-colored eyes stared pleadingly at him. _Kiss him, Big Bro!_ shouted the voice of Asta in his head. He willed it to go away. “I have to go now,” he sighed sadly.

“No,” Yuno answered tersely. He summoned some of his wind magic and flicked it at the door to keep it binded so that no one could enter (even though Langris could just blow it away with his spatial magic). Grabbing Finral’s nape, he pressed their foreheads closer together so that their noses were practically touching. “Stay with me tonight...please,” he implored quietly.

Finral stiffened at the contact but relaxed with what Yuno asked him. _So close and yet, so far_ , he thought, feeling Yuno’s hot breath breathing over his lips. “Anything for you, Yuno.” With that, he shifted his position so that he laid right next to Yuno. He felt Yuno turn and dig his head into the crook of Finral’s neck. Finral hugged him close as they cuddled. He lifted the covers over their bodies and said quietly, “Good night, Yuno.”

“Good night, Finral,” mumbled Yuno, already half-asleep in Finral’s arms.

_I love you, Yuno_ , thought Finral, closing his eyes.

_I love you...Asta_ , thought Yuno, letting sleep consume him. It felt like ages since Yuno had gotten a good night’s sleep. That night, he had no nightmares--only wonderful dreams, holding hands and laughing with that man with an unknown face. He guessed that it was Asta since only Asta could make his nightmares go away...but he didn’t notice his physical body mumble a different name, “Fin...ral…”

_Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room_

_A few days after the dungeon mission, morning_

“Time to wake up, sleepy head,” Finral cooed as he stroked Yuno’s raven-colored hair. He and Yuno were making progress, at least in Finral’s eyes. Yuno had requested he sleep with him ever since the night he had returned from the dungeon. Boy was Asta right. Yuno was some sort of cuddle monster that came out every time he went to sleep. Something had happened the first night Finral slept over. Finral had awoken to Yuno calling his name and all of a sudden, Yuno was on top of Finral burying his face into Finral’s neck as deep as he could so that he was as close to him as possible but could still breathe. Finral had discussed it with Yuno the next night, who outright denied it, until he actually did it. He saw that Yuno wouldn’t let go of him after that. Even when they had to eat the chicken curry and rice Finral had prepared for them, Yuno wouldn’t even budge--he ate on Finral’s lap, still clinging to him, as he held the bowl behind Finral’s head. When Finral would stand up, Yuno would just wrap his arms and legs around Finral’s slender body and go wherever Finral went. The only time he had been able to get Yuno to let go was when he had to go to the bathroom to piss (among other things because Finral was still young), making Yuno flush red. Whenever Finral would ask or tease him about it, the response would always be that he didn’t know, then he would change the subject to Asta.

Yuno began to stir from his dream with the mystery man that he called Asta. “Five more...minutes...please,” muttered Yuno groggily as he dug his face deeper into Finral’s neck, earning a light chuckle from the dirty-blonde.

“Don’t you have a meeting with the Wizard King today, sleepy head?” asked Finral.

“Yeah...but he can wait…” Yuno mumbled.

“You’re going to make the Wizard King wait so you can keep sleeping on me?” snorted Finral. He wasn’t completely opposed to that but apparently, the meeting was urgent.

“Yes. I’m going to make the Wizard King wait so I can keep sleeping on my best friend,” answered Yuno, fully awake now. He didn’t notice Finral flinch.

_Still a best friend_ , Finral reminded himself. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Do you want to come with me?” he teased, quirking an eyebrow.

“Ok, ok. I’m up, Finral. Gosh...” Yuno scoffed, jolting up immediately and going to his dresser to hide his blushing form. Why was he blushing?

“I’ll see you there, sleepy head,” said Finral as he opened up a portal to the Black Bulls’ base where he could freshen up. Seeing Yuno’s hand pop out of the dresser and wave goodbye only meant one thing to Finral--he was blushing. He chuckled and stepped through the portal.

_Black Bulls’ Base - Asta and Finral’s Room_

_The moment Finral steps through the portal_

When Finral stepped through to the other side, he was tackled to the ground by another cuddle monster in its own right--Nala, who started licking Finral’s face. It didn’t help that the lioness was already as tall as Finral on its hind legs and weighed a ton, so Finral was stuck, succumbing to her attack. Then, a fresh set of his clothes was thrown at his face, making the lioness retract back to the bed.

“You’re late, Big Bro,” Asta huffed, tying the shoelace of his black boot. He took out the necklace he had always kept hiding under his shirt. It was a cheap metal, oval locket that was painted sloppily with honey-colored paint. It had slipped out when he and Leo were playing tag again, making Leo question where it came from. He gave the same explanation to Finral’s unstated question, “It was a gift from Yuno for our ninth birthday. It has a special picture inside of it along with an engraving that only I get to look at. I always hide it inside my shirt because it always makes Yuno embarrassed when I wear it outside. I like to think that it’s how Yuno keeps an eye on me whenever we’re apart.”

“That’s kind of creepy, kiddo,” chuckled Finral sheepishly.

“And you don’t think that sleeping over with the man you want to marry even though you still haven’t confessed your love to him isn’t creepy?” retorted Asta.

“Says the man that’s head over heels for a royal but doesn’t want to put a label on it because he’s ‘waiting for the right moment,’” Finral fired back. Finral actually knew why--but the two were just picking fun at each other right now. He wrapped a towel around his waist and took off his clothes, gathering his soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste.

“Touché. By the way, Captain Yami has a mission for you. He says it’s urgent,” said Asta, throwing the mission briefing papers on the bed towards Finral. He whistled for Nala to come to his side. The big feline listened and sat right next to her master, nudging at his hand to scratch her ear.

Finral took the papers and read them over. He groaned. It was a search and destroy mission that would surely take him the entire day. And here he thought he could spend some more time with Yuno. He waved Asta off when he asked if everything was ok, telling him that he was just annoyed. Suddenly, Noelle and Luck barged in.

“Stupidsta, we’re going to be late if we don’t leave n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-naked!” squealed Noelle, turning around to hide her red face.

“Oh, come on, Noelle! He’s got a towel wrapped around him!” laughed Luck. Ever since the day Asta had saved him, he was less of a battle-maniac, wanting to get to know his precious friends better. After Asta, he had gotten to talk to Lady Noelle, who was actually pretty funny in her own way. Lady Noelle seemed to grow a liking to her new squadmates despite her haughty personality, even going as far as “permitting” them to continue calling her just “Noelle”.

“I don’t care,” she huffed, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. “I’m royalty, so Finral shouldn’t be showing himself off in front of me like that lest I think he was a pervert.” Then, she remembered why she barged in. “Finral, open a portal to the Royal Capital. Now.”

_I’m your senior! At least have a little respect for me_ , thought Finral, crying crocodile eyes. He was going to be late for his mission, too, if he didn’t get a shower. So not wanting to waste any more time, he sighed and opened up a portal. “Yeah, yeah...here you go.” Noelle and Luck stepped through with Noelle keeping her eyes closed as Luck led her to the portal, teasing her. Before Asta could step through, Finral gave him a hug and said, “Be careful, kiddo...the Wizard King can be a bit...eccentric.”

“Who isn’t?” snorted Asta. Eyes softening as he looked up at Finral’s caring eyes, he added, “Of course, I will. You be careful too, ok?” He got a nod from Finral, who kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair. With that, the two went off doing their own things.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_As Asta, Noelle, and Luck step through the portal_

The portal closed behind them after the three Black Bulls stepped through to the other side. Asta’s eyes went wide with joy as he saw a pair of amber-colored eyes, equally as wide, staring at him in shock. He probably used his light magic because in less than a second he closed the distance between him and Yuno to capture his foster-brother in a hug. “Yuno! I missed you, Big Bro!” shouted Asta joyously.

Yuno should’ve been mad. He should’ve been mad at Asta for being so careless in the dungeon, for choosing Leo over him. But why wasn’t he? Why were his lips curling up despite his mind telling them to curl down? Before he knew it, he returned the hug. Then, in a playfully insulting tone, he said, “It’s only been a couple of days since we last saw each other, dumbass. Did you miss me that much?”

Asta looked up and saw nothing but love again when last he had looked into those eyes, they were filled with so many negative emotions. He rested his chin on Yuno’s chest and answered, “Don’t call me a dumbass! I always miss you, you handsome idiot!”

Yuno blushed a light shade of pink at the insult. His smile widened. “You’re as loud as ever, dumbass.”

Asta puffed his cheeks out in a pout. But then, he remembered Nala had tagged along. He promised Nala (yes, he still talked to Nala) last night that he would bring her along when he had found out that he was going to meet the Wizard King. He was going to call for Nala, but it seemed as if she had gotten the message because she was already right next to him. He crouched down and stroked her back, earning him a purr from the albino. “Yuno, I’d like you to meet the first friend I made outside of Hage Village, Nala.”

Yuno, a bit surprised, asked, “I-Is that..?” He crouched down to pet the lioness’s head.

“You bet your ass it is!” beamed Asta. Then, he remembered who it was from, cheeks reddening at the thought. “It was a gift from Leo.” He didn’t notice Yuno’s eyes switch from bright and loving to dark and cold. However, he did notice Nala begin to growl as if she noticed something change in her master’s friend’s mood that she didn’t like. “Nala, are you ok?” he asked the lioness, who continued to growl and put herself between the two foster-brothers.

“I see…” Yuno stated, standing back up now that his hand was no longer wanted. “It must have been...quite the surprise.”

Asta stood back up but before he could voice an answer, Klaus, who was next to Yuno, fixed his glasses and chimed in, “I see Leo doesn’t mind wasting his money on you, Asta.”

“I see you still haven’t used your own money to buy a strap for your glasses, Four-Eyes,” Asta fired back. After the dungeon, he and Leo had run into Klaus and Mimosa while they were taking Nala for a walk, so he knew that Klaus was just trying to express his happiness for Asta in some convoluted, insulting way. Still, it was fun getting the cool, calm, collected Klaus all riled up.

“Don’t call me Four-Eyes, you dumbass!” shouted Klaus, taking the bait. And so began a bickering contest with Yuno caught in the middle of it as he tried to ease his way away from Nala, who would growl at him whenever he so much as tried to move his eyes in Asta’s direction.

Meanwhile, Noelle and Mimosa were catching up with...things. “How’re your two?” asked Noelle to her cousin, not needing to name whom she was implying. She and Mimosa had been working as matchmakers for their duos of “dense, male idiots”.

“Nothing, just a lot of cuddling and pining,” sighed Mimosa disappointedly. She was like a sister to Yuno at this point, so she fancied herself in meddling with Finral and Yuno’s non-existent relationship. “How about your two?” she asked.

Noelle rubbed her temples. “Nothing new at all. It’s like they made so much progress but at the same time, no progress at all.” She meant it. She had thought Leo would figure out his feelings for Asta after Asta told Noelle that they had kissed after their first date. But date after date, Leo didn’t catch a single hint. Though she and Asta were close, they weren’t as close as Mimosa and Yuno just yet, so she had to try a little harder to pry information from her grey-haired squadmate. “If you dropped Leo in a glass of water...he would sink through the glass, through the table, and through the ground because that’s how dense he is.”

“Men,” Mimosa scoffed, crossing her arms on her chest.

“Men,” Noelle scoffed in agreement, following the same action.

After meeting back up with their group, the two, three-man squads made their way to the Wizard King’s Tower. They really hadn’t needed any formal introductions other than kneeling and saluting him because all of them had either already met him or knew who he was because they were royalty or nobility. After Julius had made goo-goo eyes at Nala for about half an hour, he led the group of Magic Knights to one of the balconies in his tower that overlooked the city. There, they had discussed what happened at the dungeon. The discussion had led to Asta and Yuno presenting their new findings, making the Wizard King’s childish side come out. Julius had revealed that Yuno was chosen by the Wind Spirit, Sylph, as its host, making him a force to be reckoned with, if he wasn’t one already. Asta had beamed with pride at the information and tried to high-five Yuno but was left hanging, getting a frown instead. Asta had tried not to let it get to him, so he decided to show the Wizard King his new pitch-black shortsword, which the Wizard King asked to hold only to be dragged down by the heavy weight of its mana-absorbing properties. He had informed Asta that it was absorbing his mana, to everyone (except Asta’s) surprise. Finally, he had invited the group to the ranking ceremony for lunch. He had everyone make their way except for Asta. “How have things been, Asta-kun?” asked Julius as he looked over the city and beyond--the land he swore an oath to protect.

“What do you mean, Lord Julius?” asked Asta, a bit perplexed.

“I meant how have things been since your miscarriage? And can you tell me the name of the man that violated you?” asked Julius bluntly.

Asta was stunned. He knew that Marisol had been sent by the Wizard King to assess his condition, but he didn’t know how he knew about the incident. Before he could voice his concern, Julius beat him to it.

“Have you ever asked Drouot’s last name?” asked Julius. He looked over his shoulder and saw Asta shake his head no. “His full name is Drouot Novachrono. I’m his son, and he was the one that had told me everything.” Remembering the shaken voice of his proud father, he added, “I’m so sorry, Asta-kun.” He offered him an apologetic smile.

There was that pity again that Asta despised so much. His indignation towards people’s pity always overpowered any emotion, even the surprise he felt when Lord Julius told him that he was the Master of the Grimoire Tower’s son. Only Leo understood, and he didn’t even know the whole story. He would always ask how Asta felt and never assumed his feelings for him. It was one of the qualities that was making him fall for the man. Still, he couldn’t be disrespectful, at least not to the Wizard King. “Things have been getting better, sir. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded with so many supportive people that have shown nothing but love for me and silently respected my wish for privacy on the matter.” He felt like there was more because...well, there was always more. “Is that it, sir?”

Julius smiled. “You’re a sharp one, Asta-kun.” Not taking his eyes off of the magnificent view he said, “There’s a traitor in our ranks, and I suspect they are closely tied with you, Yuno, Leo, and Finral.” He paused to let Asta’s shock subside before he continued, “Tell me, did Finral take that search and destroy mission?” He glanced back and saw Asta nod. “For the past few months, random search and destroy missions have been assigned without my knowledge. All of them were wild goose chases. All of those missions always ended up in at least one Magic Knight dying or being fatally wounded. But it was when a search and destroy mission had been assigned to Leo’s squad that his squad was left unharmed. I apologize for prying, but I had to ask if Leo was seeing anyone and to my surprise, Marisol told me it was you. So, the next time I heard another three-man squad had been assigned another one of these missions, I changed the three-man squad involved to one including you, expedited my order, and obviously since I’m still talking to you, no one was harmed. I bided my time, keeping a close eye on these missions when it had dawned on me that one of them had involved Yuno, who was left unharmed as well. So, the next chance I got, I changed the names again, but this time, it involved Finral because I’ve had Klaus keep an eye on him and Yuno ever since I caught Finral making lovey-dovey eyes at your foster-brother while I was under my old woman disguise.” Julius stiffened when he realized what he just said.

“Ah ha! I knew it! So you were that nice old lady that gave me those purple snakes on a stick!” shouted Asta, pointing an accusatory finger at the Wizard King. But he retracted it to reflect on everything else he had said. Now that he thought about it, he was assigned a search and destroy mission with Charmy and Vanessa that ended up being an all-day wild goose chase. “So you’re thinking that if Finral and his squad comes back unharmed, then that confirms that this traitor is closely tied to us four? And if I had to guess, this has something to do with my and Yuno’s four-leaf grimoires.” He saw the Wizard King’s head move up and down. “But wait...why just us four? We have plenty of other people that are close to us that they could easily use to their advantage to get what they wanted.”

Julius answered with a question, “If you were someone that was trying to target two owners of four-leaf grimoires, how would you hurt them without physically hurting them?” It was an odd question to ask since he couldn’t absolutely establish the motive like Asta had done so easily but if his experience as a Magic Knight told him anything, it was that when something like a four-leaf grimoire was involved, then that may have been all the motivation a criminal needed.

He had a point. If Asta were that person, he would go for the people closest to their hearts. Asta’s brows furrowed in concern. “But wait...isn’t this a little risky? What if Finral gets hurt or..?” His voice trailed off, refusing to say the last part.

“It’s a risk you have to be willing to take. It’s not easy being the Wizard King when it comes to these things, Asta,” sighed Julius as he remembered the countless lives that he had put in danger during his tenure both as a Magic Knight captain and as the Wizard King. It was never sunshine and rainbows being at the top, and not a day went by where he didn’t visit their graves, asking for forgiveness, but no amount of medals and honorary titles would ever equate to those brave knights’ sacrifices in the name of their people.

“I understand, sir. But I can’t help but feel that there’s more,” stated Asta.

“Correct. There is more. But first, let me know something. I know you and Leo are seeing each other, but I hope that you have not revealed to him what the ice mage, Heath Grice, told you about his affiliation with the Eye of the Midnight Sun.” He paused and glanced back to see Asta shaking his head no. “Good, because this next part involves you. I have classified information that has led me to believe that this group will launch an attack on the Royal Capital in the near future. If we wish to stop this terrorist group in their tracks, then we need to find out where they’re hiding so that we can uncover their motives and prevent a possibly small terrorist group from growing into a bigger problem. Unfortunately, this is no easy task, and I don’t want to put another one of my knights at risk. Also, though I wish I had the magic to do so, I cannot be at two places at once. But I believe that I am more needed in confronting the group at their hideout than here in the Royal Capital if and when it is attacked. Therefore, I will be going personally and will have to leave protecting the Royal Capital in the capable hands of my Magic Knights.”

“But how does this involve me?” asked Asta, listening intently.

“I need you to be captured. If my sources are correct, then they’ll lead me straight to their hideout where I’ll save you, and we’ll both be able to uncover their secrets. If not, well, I know that you can finally put your dual-magic affinity to some good use,” said Julius, turning back to give Asta a wink. “What do you say, Asta-kun? Up for the task?”

Without question, Asta said, “Yes, sir! If I’m going to become Wizard King, then I have to be able to put my life on the line in the name of our people!” He saluted the Wizard King.

“I know I can count on you, Asta-kun,” said Julius, giving the grey-haired boy a warm smile. “Now let’s head off to lunch. I’m sure little Nala over here is hungry.” He patted the top of the albino lioness’s head, who purred at the touch. With that, Julius led Asta and Nala to the banquet hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm...I wonder who gets the “Densest Person of the Year” award Leo or Yuno? What do you think?


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you’ve all been waiting for...

_ Royal Capital _

_ Banquet Hall _

_ War Merits Conferment Ceremony _

As Asta came walking in with the Wizard King to his right and Nala to his left, two men’s hearts skipped a beat. One heart understood why while the other was as dense as ever, but both relished at the sight of how befitting Asta looked in the middle of the two figures. Yes, to both men, Asta looked like a king. Both men’s cheeks flushed at the sight but for two different reasons. Leo’s reason was that his hedonic desires had become increasingly difficult to suppress as the months went by with him and Asta seeing each other for so long, but for one reason or another, he was always able to keep it in check regardless of its gradually increasing intensity. Yuno’s reason was that he had finally noticed that Asta was wearing the locket he had given Asta when they were kids. 

Regardless of how either felt, they maintained their calm as the ceremony commenced. When Leo had been called up, Nala hurried to his side, wanting to be next to her master’s rather clueless friend. Leo didn’t mind as he pet the lioness while he received his medal for his new rank as a second-class intermediate Magic Knight. To Yuno’s surprise, he, too, was promoted to the rank of fifth-class intermediate Magic Knight. Both men clapped (rather loudly as if it were some sort of competition) for Asta when he had been promoted to the rank of third-class junior Magic Knight.

After the ceremony, the banquet began with the Wizard King taking his leave for reasons that only he and Asta knew. Asta congratulated his two favorite men for a job well-done. He didn’t notice the staring contest either was having with the other as the grey-haired boy came to give each of them a congratulatory hug. It was while they were eating when a green-haired, grey-eyed member of the Golden Dawn made a snide comment that the cheery air went south almost instantly. “To think I would find myself in the same room as two, third-rate slum rats.”

Leo, who was standing next to Asta, started to growl like Nala, prompting the grey-haired boy to pinch the lioness’s nape and squeeze Leo’s hand to keep both of them calm. He also made a pleading look to Yuno, who was a couple of tables away from him, making his own scene as the wind around him began to pick up. Asta’s actions seemed to work to an extent for all three of them--Nala and Leo stopped growling but both stepped forward in a protective stance in front of Asta whereas Yuno pinched the bridge of his nose, calming his wind magic, but all three shot cold glares at the man that had made the rude comment.

“Now come on, Alecdora. To even acknowledge their presence already shows that you’re allowing that black-haired slum rat to faze you. You’re showing weakness more than anything, but I expect nothing more from the Golden Dawn,” chimed in a silver-haired, purple-eyed female from the Silver Eagles, Nebra Silva.

“How asinine of you to assume that I acknowledge even their presence in our land. But that’s just expected from the royal family whose youngest sibling was placed into the worst Magic Knights’ squad in history along with the grey-haired slum rat,” Alecdora fired back, looking at Noelle.

This time a silver-haired, purple-eyed male, Solid Silva, took a glass of water from one of the trays. He walked over to where his younger sister stood, minding her own business and taking whatever was thrown at her. Solid raised the glass over his little sister’s head and poured the clear liquid on her head. “Don’t worry, Alecdora. I think she already knows her place in this world.”

Now, it was Asta’s turn to lose his temper. Leo, Yuno, and Nala knew better than to get in his way whenever the small, grey-haired boy was enraged. Leo cringed, remembering one of their dates when he had stolen a piece of Asta’s chocolate ice cream cake; he didn’t know such a tiny person could pack a punch that had sent him flying through the roof of the ice cream shop. Yuno cringed, remembering back when they were kids when he had stolen Asta’s plain-baked tato one time while he wasn’t looking; Asta had thrown him out of the house like a lightweight, sending him flying a good kilometer away from his chair. Nala cringed, remembering when she had skipped one of her meals to go play; Asta hadn’t given her any affection for an entire day. 

Asta stood on top of the table he was at, knocking away plates and trays of food around him. “That’s where I draw the line!” he shouted, glowering at Nebra, Solid, and Alecdora. “You can insult me and Yuno and our status because we can take it. We’ve taken it since the day we first stepped foot into the Common Realm.” He paused, looking at Yuno, who gave him a small smile and a curt nod. “And we’ll continue to take it if that’s what it’ll take for all of you to acknowledge us as Magic Knights, to acknowledge our strength and power and give us the merit we need to become Wizard King!” Then, he looked at Noelle, who was staring owl-eyed at him, awestruck and speechless. “You call yourself Magic Knights when you can’t even look at your own colleagues and siblings as equals? Pathetic. But I draw the line when you insult those I hold dear to my heart! So, apologize to Noelle this instant, you three!”

There was a tense silence for a couple of seconds before Solid spoke up, “Sure,” he began, taking out his grimoire and flipping to a certain page. He recited, “ **Water Magic: Holy Water Bullet** .” With that, streams of water formed out of thin air to form a giant bullet made of water. He fired it at Noelle, who stood there frozen in place. “Stop this attack with your magic, and I’ll give you my apology, Little Sister. But knowing you, you won’t be able to do a thing!”

_ Idiot _ , thought Leo and Yuno. 

“Not a chance!” shouted Asta as he took out his Demon-Slayer Sword from his grimoire and reflected the bullet back to its user. Had Solid not been quick to react, his own magic would have fatally injured him. Thankfully, he was able to nullify his own spell a split-second before it made contact, knocking him back a couple of meters.

‘Peasant! How dare you attack a royal with your filthy hands!” shouted Alecdora, fuming. He took out his own grimoire and flipped to a certain page. He recited, “ **Sand Magic: Sand-Armored Guard** !” With that, a sentry-like sand golem appeared behind Asta and restrained him.

_ When will these people learn? _ thought Leo and Yuno. They knew that Asta could have easily dodged the spell, but both hummed in amusement when Asta had allowed himself to be restrained. 

Asta focused his light magic mana to create cracks in the sand golem. He increased his power slightly and exhaled, causing the golem to shatter into pieces. “Enough showing off! If you three are going to attack me, then do it all at once!” he taunted, making Alecdora, Nebra, and Solid seethe with anger. The three opened their grimoires to their most powerful spells. But before they could recite it, Fuegoleon’s voice boomed throughout the banquet hall.

“That’s enough!” shouted Fuegoleon. He glared at Asta, displeased with how he had let his anger get the better of him. “Asta, though I admire your courage to stand up for Lady Noelle, I will not tolerate you taunting your fellow Magic Knights. If you wish them to acknowledge you, then there is always a better way than to beat them into submission.” Then, he switched to Alecdora and the two Silvas. “And you three--you should know better than to attack one of your own. You are no better than Asta because the moment he became a Magic Knight, he became your equal.” He paused and glanced back at Asta and Yuno. “And even before then, the moment Asta and Yuno were born into this world, they became your equals in all relevant aspects of life.”

“Defending two peasants? How low can the Vermillion family get?” commented Nozel Silva contemptuously.

This got Fuegoleon’s attention. He turned to face his rival and cousin. Two captains, vis-à-vis, equal in magic power stared down one another. “Do you have a problem,  _ Nozel _ ?”

“And what if I do,  _ Fuegoleon _ ?” sneered Nozel.

Suddenly, the room began to rumble as the two captains flared up their mana, taunting each other to make the first move. Fuegoleon’s fire mana took the form of a lion, whereas Nozel’s mercury mana took the form of an eagle. Everyone else staggered backwards for fear that they might be caught in the middle of the impending skirmish. 

Only Asta, who was now more furious than ever, walked up to the two, Nala growling by her side. He looked down at his friend and said, “Nala, let’s give them a show.” Nala roared in response. With that, Asta flared up his own mana to a level that rivaled the captain’s--he couldn’t hold it for long, but he could use it to intimidate if anything. Nala’s form disappeared as it fused with Asta’s mana, making his demon light mana take the shape of Nala. It was something that he and Leo had discovered one day--one of Nala’s powers was that she could fuse with her master’s mana. They had discovered it by accident when the three came across the magical beast pet shop owner during one of their walks in the Royal Capital. The owner had revealed how abusive he was to the lioness, making Asta go livid. That day, a connection had been made between master and pet that had allowed their forms to fuse. Nevertheless, they had never tried to experiment with how it could augment Asta’s abilities after that, so it was more or less just for intimidation as well. 

Asta cracked his knuckles and the lioness in him roared at the eagle and lion. He threatened, “Fuego, what would Mother say if you were acting like a hypocrite, lecturing me about taunting my colleagues when you’re taunting your own?” This caused Fuegoleon to stiffen both at the nickname and the thought of what his mother would do to him--he toned down his mana immediately. 

Asta turned to Nozel, “Nozel, what would Ms. Vanessa say about you trying to hurt one of your closest friends?” This caused Nozel to stiffen and blush at the thought of what his secret girlfriend would do to him--he toned down his mana immediately. Asta toned down his mana with Nala’s form returning to his side shortly after, meowing at having been able to please her master. Asta crossed his arms and grinned cheekily at the two. “Good, now apologize to each other right this instant.”

“Sorry…” coughed both captains, avoiding eye contact with the other.

Leo wrapped an arm around Asta’s shoulder. “That was pretty hot, Asta. I’m not going to lie!” he chuckled heartily. He glared victoriously back at Yuno, who was trying to keep a poker face for Asta’s sake.

Asta, flushing at the sudden contact and compliment, tried to wiggle out of Leo’s grasp. “O-Only you would think something like that is hot, Leo.” Asta should’ve gotten used to Leo’s antics by now, but every time he did it, he couldn’t help but feel this way. It was partly because he had hoped that those moments meant that Leo finally realized what he felt for Asta, but that had never been the case with the dense jerk. The other part had to do with the fact that he was never afraid to say something like that in the middle of public, embarrassing him like always.

Suddenly, a mage guard burst through the door, catching everyone’s attention. Asta knew right away what he was going to say. “The Royal Capital is under attack!” announced the hooded mage frantically. Immediately, Asta signaled Nala to stay put, making his friend growl at the order but obey begrudgingly. He made way for the balcony and called out his broom. As he was making his way, Noelle asked him if he knew where he was going to which he replied hastily, “Wherever there’s yelling!” With that, he hopped on his broom and headed to where there was yelling.

“Diving straight into battle without a plan? You’re just turning me on even more, Asta!” shouted Leo as he followed suit, making everyone around him sweat-drop in bewilderment. In reality, that was more his primal side talking because he actually wanted to see Asta fight again. Everyone else sighed in exasperation at the two’s recklessness. With that, the Magic Knights put aside their difference and devised a plan of defense and possible counterattack.

_ Somewhere in the Royal Capital _

_ Mid-Afternoon _

The enemy had appeared to be attacking from all angles, causing the Magic Knights’ numbers to spread thin. Nevertheless, they had been able to defeat the seemingly never-ending onslaught of mindless undead creatures. Asta himself had taken out a good number before he had a run-in with another ex-Magic Knight, Rades Spirito. Rades was about to hurt a poor, innocent girl had it not been for Asta taking the curse magic that was meant for her. The curse seemed to cause Asta to bleed incessantly. But it had mattered not to Asta, so he forged onwards, taking on all of Rades’ special corpses. 

Unfortunately, the hypovolemia had set in since Asta didn’t do anything to try and stop the bleeding, leaving him vulnerable. All would have been lost had it not been for Fuegoleon, Leo, and Noelle catching up to him, having finished up their designated areas. Fuegoleon was about to finish off Rades until a spatial mage had helped him escape. The battle had been thought to be won until Fuegoleon himself was taken into a different dimension along with all of the other Magic Knights scattered throughout the Royal Capital.

To Asta, Leo, and Noelle’s horror, Fuegoleon returned from whatever pocket dimension he had been taken into, having his right arm chopped off of him. The cut had appeared fresh, meaning that the bleeding wouldn’t stop until it was treated. While Leo had stood there in abject horror, Asta and Noelle scrambled to perform first-aid. Asta, still afflicted with the bleeding curse, summoned as much mana as he could as he flipped to a certain page in his grimoire. He hovered his hands over the open wound and recited, “ **Demon Light Magic: Healing Light Particles** .” With that, a faint-grey orb of light encapsulated the wound, gradually getting smaller as small bits of it infused itself into the wound, healing the injured captain only enough to stop the bleeding. “I-I’m sorry, Leo. This is all I can do,” Asta apologized in a shaky breath. He glanced back and saw Leo nod but voice no response, still trying to recover from the shock.

Noelle spoke for him, “I’m sure this was more than enough, Asta. Let me do the rest.” She ripped off part of her dress and wrapped it around Fuegoleon to cover the open wound. Suddenly, the three Magic Knights were surrounded by more members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.

One of the hooded members removed their hood to reveal a girl that looked not much older than Asta. She had red eyes and wore black glasses. Her personality seemed to resemble Luck’s but in a more sinister way. “Oh? Is this that the boy that Master Licht said possessed a four-leaf grimoire with dual-affinity? He didn’t say he was cute! I want to experiment on him when we get back!” she exclaimed creepily as she licked her lips at the grey-haired boy, making Asta shudder.

“Shut up, Sally! Master Licht said to get the boy and the magic stone--nothing else! Go ahead and finish the other three, especially that captain!” ordered Rades in bloodlust.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” said everyone in unison. They all opened their grimoire in preparation for a concentrated attack. They fired their attacks towards Noelle, Leo, and Fuegoleon only to have them deflected by a wall of water.

“ **Water Magic: Sea Dragon’s Nest** ,” said Noelle, putting in all her mana to fortify the spell.

Asta took this moment to recover as much mana as he could, which surprisingly didn’t take long since it finally dawned on him that the curse magic on him was curse  _ magic _ , so he simply slashed at himself with the blunt edges of his Demon-Slayer Sword and his anti-magic shortsword. He knew that he had to be captured, but he could make them pay for what they did to Fuegoleon. Once he felt like he had enough mana, he took this moment to kneel down to Leo, who was beside his brother. He took Leo by the nape and pressed his forehead to his. He locked eyes with those turquoise-colored eyes that had gotten him falling for the man in the first place. He whispered softly, “Leo, whatever happens, let it happen. You must protect Fuegoleon and Noelle at all costs.” Leo pursed his lips, and his eyes seemed to light up. Asta smiled at him and kissed Leo’s forehead. Unlike his other kisses that only served as clues, he put a certain emotion into this one. “I hope you figure it out soon, you handsome jerk.”

The instant Asta finished speaking, tree roots caused Noelle’s protective wall of water to collapse. Asta stood up and took in a deep breath before saying, “I’ll let you take me as long as you spare my friends.”

“We’re not open to negotiations, peasant,” said the spatial magic user, Valtos. He raised his hand to signal the final attack.

Asta’s hands were trembling with rage so much that he dropped his swords. This made the terrorists mock him as they began to fire their concentrated attack.  _ If I try to target Rades, then Valtos might get hurt. It seems he’s their only means of transport in this group, so I can’t risk it. Something tells me that Sally plays a larger role in all of this, so I can’t risk hurting her either. Then, I need to leave at least one person injured but alive for interrogation _ , he calculated. That meant that everyone else was dogmeat. Before any of the members could fire their attacks at Leo, Noelle, and Fuegoleon, Asta clenched his hands into fists and willed the mana in the area to form into faint-grey lightswords. He didn’t know that he was using mana zone. He clenched his fists tighter to will them downwards at their targets, impaling the white-hooded mages, save Sally, Valtos, Rades, and one lucky terrorist that was left with a deep wound in his right arm. He looked up at Valtos, who Asta thought was the leader of the squad. “Are you open to negotiations now?”

Something told Valtos to nod in agreement. “Sally, take the boy. We’re leaving immediately.”

“You got it,” answered Sally happily. She had her gel salamander spit out a ball of gel that trapped Asta. With that, the three uninjured members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun made their escape with Asta, who grinned at Leo and gave him a thumbs-up.

“ASTA!” called Leo as he saw the grey-haired boy disappear. He felt a sharp pain in his chest that caused him to double over. Clutching his chest, he took short, sharp breaths. A single tear fell onto the pavement beneath him. He had already witnessed some of his squadmates get captured in the past, but why did it hurt an infinite amount more to see Asta get captured?

Suddenly, all the Magic Knights that were teleported somewhere else appeared, standing down once they noticed that all the members of the terrorist group, save one, were dead on the spot, a faint-grey light sword stabbed through each of their necks. Everyone knew of only one person who had this kind of magic, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

Nozel ordered Fuegoleon be sent to Dr. Owen and Marisol at once, carefully adding Noelle’s name in. He looked down at the pitiful form of his rival’s brother. He cringed and ordered, “Get up, Leopold. I’ll be damned if I don’t let Lady Marisol see you, too.” He paused as he watched Leo reluctantly stand up. Then, he tried to look for a certain grey-haired peasant again but to no avail. “Where is that boy?” asked Nozel to Leo. He got no answer and glanced down to see Leo hanging his head low and clutching at his chest. That was all he needed to know what had happened while he was gone.  _ Vanessa’s so going to kill me for this _ , thought Nozel. “Go now, Leopold. Don’t embarrass your royal status by looking like a mess.”

In all other circumstances, Leo would have growled back at Nozel, but his heart was bleeding, screaming a certain name. Leo just didn’t understand. Keeping his head low, he made his way to the infirmary to accompany his brother and get himself checked up. 

_ Royal Capital _

_ The Infirmary _

Marisol knew it was going to happen someday. She knew one of her children would be sent to the infirmary, injured, dying, saying their last prayers. It was the silent contract that one signed when they joined the Magic Knights. She prepared herself for the day, but no amount of emotional and psychological preparation could ever parallel the real thing. So, it took all of her mental energies to not fall to her knees in helpless misery as she had seen Fuegoleon, missing one arm, on a stretcher. She forced her healer persona to take over as part of her kept the anguished mother at bay.

Thankfully, Asta had been able to close up most of the wound but without his arm, Marisol could not fix her son’s residual limb. Now, all they could do was wait for Fuegoleon’s body to heal since they did all that they could. She was also thankful (in a dark, twisted sort of way) that Leo needed consoling. It was a great distraction--irritation suppressed the anguish she felt for her eldest son. 

Leo was finishing up recounting the events that led to where they were now as he cried softly in her arms. Though it pained her to see how much her son cluelessly loved Asta, she was extremely irritated. Nala, who had slipped past the guards in the banquet hall, had expertly made her way to the infirmary, but she wasn’t being her usual comforting self. She was pacing around, standing on her hind legs to peer through the window and peeking her head out the door to search for any sign of her master. Marisol was glad that the lioness was distracted because it would give her some time to chide her son since Nala was overprotective of Asta and Leo.

“What do you think is wrong with me mother?” asked Leo as he sniffled, wiping some of the snot with the forearm of his shirt.

Marisol had had enough. She told herself not to meddle, but she was not going to stand idle while her son’s soulmate was right in front of him. To hell with giving the boys their time. This was getting ridiculous. “I think you’re the densest fucking moron that I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Marisol scoffed.

Leo jolted up, awestruck by the use of his mother’s foul language. It wasn’t like he hadn’t already heard his mother swear before, but she never used it on him directly unless she meant business. “What do you mean by that, Mother?” asked Leo, offended by the insult. He knew he wasn’t the brightest person in the room, but he was always told that his IQ was above-average when he actually focused.

“Walk yourself through everything you’ve done with Asta so far, but this time, add how you felt. Actually try to put a word to the feelings, you goddamn moron,” she chided, pinching the bridge of her nose.  _ Above-average intelligence my ass _ , thought Marisol. “You know what? On second thought, don’t try to think too hard about it. Just walk yourself through it and say the first emotion that comes to mind.”

Leo didn’t understand why he had to do that but if it meant understanding how he felt right now, then he was all for it. He started at the beginning, “The moment I locked eyes with him, I knew he was special. I knew it was like your story with Father--it was love at first sight. But I gave in to what my dick wanted--I apologize for the language--and saw him as just another one of the guys I wanted to be with, but seeing him that night--mortified, traumatized by my flirtations--made me feel guilty. I decided to make it up to him with flowers but the moment I saw him again, I felt the same guilt that I had felt the night before. When I saw Asta at our home, I was so happy because I could finally try and make it up to him. When I showed him around the house and played tag, I felt like a kid again. I felt like I could be anything as long as I was with Asta. When he asked me out on a date, I was startled, but I knew that I wanted nothing more than to be with him wherever we went. When I had bought Nala for him, I was so ecstatic when I saw him overjoyed by the gesture. Every time I met up with him, it was like falling in love again. I never wanted to leave his side. That’s why I would take any chance I got to be with him--sleepovers, dates, walks with Nala, playing tag, et cetera. I would turn down all the men that kept sending me love letters because I only wanted to be with Asta. I didn’t need sex at that point. I just wanted Asta.” He paused and blinked at his mother, who was giving him a smug look. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

_ You just said it twice, you dumbass _ , she wanted to say. “Leo, repeat the first couple of lines you just told me,” she sighed. Marisol knew it wouldn’t be a problem because Leo’s memory was the only thing above-average right now.

Leo groaned, “Do I have to?” His mother gave him the look of death, making him jump back a bit in his chair. “O-Ok, ok, I’ll do it,” he said, stumbling over his words. “The moment I locked eyes with him, I knew he was special. I knew it was like your story with Father--it was love at first sight. But I-”

“There--repeat the second line. Right now, Leopold,” Marisol ordered, grabbing his son by the shoulders.

“I knew it was like your story with Father--it was love at first sight,” Leo repeated, frightened by his mother’s tightening grip. “What’s your point?”

“You. Are. The.  _ Densest _ . Fucking. Moron. I. Have. Ever. Met,” Marisol answered, shaking Leo a little harder after each word. “Repeat the line after ‘Father.’”

“I-It was love at first sight,” Leo repeated, getting a bit dizzy. Then, the epiphany happened--Leo gasped, and his eyes widened. He looked at his mother, who looked at him knowingly and gave him a nod. “It was love at first sight,” Leo repeated. That was the reason he could restrain himself so well--he hadn’t messed with another guy since he met Asta. That was the reason he always wanted to be with Asta. That was the reason why his bed felt emptier than usual after their first date. That was the reason he always felt lonely whenever Asta wasn’t around. “I. Love. Asta,” squealed Leo like a little girl. “I love Asta,” sang Leo, making his mother and Nala roll their eyes. 

Suddenly, he noticed Nala’s ears perk up. She stood on her hind legs and began to flick her tail back and forth in a manner that only meant one thing. Then, Leo remembered asking his older brother what the mark on his forehead symbolized since he was the only one in their family that had one. It was a promise--an unbreakable vow. For Fuegoleon, it meant that he would not give up until he became the next Wizard King. He swore his life on it. Leo knew what he had to do. He kissed his mother on the cheek, thanking her for being so patient, and then ran for the entrance to the infirmary building.

_ Somewhere in the Royal Capital _

_ The Infirmary, outside _

_ The moment Asta arrives _

The Wizard King’s plans had worked almost perfectly. Asta had gotten himself captured and brought to the Eye off the Midnight Sun’s hideout. There, Julius had waited for him, taking note of all the details of their nearly barren hideout. The only thing of importance that Asta noted was the large stone tablet that had colorful stones embedded in them. Julius easily took care of Asta’s captors and was about to take Asta back to the Royal Capital when a more powerful figure appeared before them. The figure radiated with so much mana that Asta couldn’t even tell if it was familiar with the term “mana exhaustion”. It hadn’t appeared to be hostile, taking Asta’s captors, who were trapped in the Wizard King’s time magic, and ignoring Asta and Julius’s presence. After that, it just disappeared, smiling at Asta for some reason and taking the colorful stones with it.

When Asta arrived at the outside of the infirmary, he was met with a bear hug from Mimosa, Klaus, and Noelle. “Can’t...breathe…” he struggled to say. They finally let go after saying that they were glad he was alright.

Nozel spoke up, “It’s good you didn’t get yourself killed, peasant.”

Asta was about to voice his response when Julius stated, “I apologize, everyone, for not being able to defend the Royal Capital with you.” To his surprise, everyone saluted him.

“There is nothing to apologize for, sir,” answered Charlotte.

“Captain Charlotte is right, Lord Julius. Had it not been for our weakness, we would have been able to prevent so many more casualties, including…” Nozel chimed in, voice trailing off at the end as he remembered seeing Fuegoleon’s amputation.

“Including Captain Fuegoleon’s injuries,” finished Charlotte. Then, she added, “That is why it is on us to get stronger if we wish to stop the Eye of the Midnight Sun..”

“...and avenge Fuegoleon,” added Nozel. Everyone shouted in agreement.

Julius couldn’t help but smile at this. His Magic Knights were using their failures as motivation. “It will not be easy--I can assure you that much. But if all of you are up to the task, then I will support your desires in any way I can.” To this, everyone shouted again in agreement.

All the Magic Knights started discussing their training and missions plans when the door to the infirmary swung open, catching everyone’s attention. “Asta!” called Leo, immediately getting the grey-haired Magic Knight’s attention.

“Yes, Leo?” asked Asta, offering him a warm smile.

Leo’s heart skipped a beat at seeing that smile and those viridian-colored eyes that he fell in love with. “It’s taken me months to figure out,” he started. He summoned some fire magic onto his thumb. “But I’ve finally figured it out--the emotion that I’ve been feeling since the moment I saw your beautiful eyes.” This got Asta to blush at the compliment. Everyone else was waiting in anticipation--Mimosa and Noelle were trying their hardest to suppress their squeals. Even Nozel was leaning forward. Leo pressed his fire-laced thumb onto the center of his forehead. Smoke began to rise from the area as he burned his skin and coagulated his blood. When he removed his thumb, a red diamond was present where his thumb had been. Leo pointed at the mark and proclaimed to everyone present, especially to the man he loved, “I love you, Asta! And this mark I just made is proof of it...because one day, I’m going to marry you! I swear on my life that I will marry you because you’re the only one that I want to love for all of eternity!”

The women swooned. The men high-fived each other. Asta was...about to have a goddamn heart attack. His face was redder than Noelle’s, who was also blushing at the proclamation. Asta just stood there with his mouth wide open, eyes bulging out of his sockets, and rendered speechless. Sol Marron, Charlotte Roselei’s unofficial sister, exclaimed, “I knew it! Pay up everyone--you too, Sis and Captain Nozel!” She got out a leather pouch, opened it, and outstretched her arms as she accepted fistfuls of gold coins.

“Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You m-m-m-m-m-made a-a-a-a b-b-b-b-bet o-o-o-o-on t-t-t-t-this!?” stammered Asta.

In unison, everyone answered, “Yes.” Even Julius took out his leather money pouch and tossed it into Sol’s third leather pouch since the other two were already overflowing with money.

Just how much did people bet? More importantly, how did so many people know? Was Asta that lovey-dovey with Leo? He was taken out of his thoughts when Leo grabbed his nape and leaned down to touch his forehead with Asta’s. Asta looked into Leo’s eyes and no longer saw any malice or beastial desires--all he saw was unconditional love. He didn’t hear the men or women around them cheering them on to kiss. All he heard was Leo’s voice.

“So what do you say, Asta?” Leo asked softly.

“L-Leo…” Asta started. He couldn’t say anything else because Leo captured his lips in a kiss. Unlike all the other times, this kiss was soft and gentle but had a deeper, more passionate meaning to it. Leo guided his inexperienced lips. Asta felt Leo brush his tongue over his lips, asking for permission, to which he gladly allowed. Asta didn’t fight because he was melting in Leo’s arms that had thankfully held him in his place; he let Leo dominate his mouth as their tongues danced with each other. Asta was really going to have a heart attack now. He could feel his pulse all the way to his fingertips and toes. Each second that passed was another piece of his heart being put back into place. Asta didn’t want to stop now that he got a good taste of Leo but to his (and Leo’s) dismay, the lack of oxygen forced them to part. Asta leaned his head on Leo’s chest as Leo rested his forehead in Asta’s hair. It was definitely time to put a label on it. Both men were still gasping for air when Asta said, “I...love...you.”

Leo, having finally caught his breath, teased, “What was that, baby?”

Asta shuddered, giving Leo the reaction he wanted to the pet name. Was he really going to do this now? He cooed, “I love you, Leo.”

“Come again? I don’t think anyone heard that,” said Leo. He wanted all his fellow Magic Knights to know. He wanted Asta to yell it--to show everyone that Leo was Asta’s and Asta was Leo’s. He seemed to have gotten the message.

Asta really didn’t know what came over him. He had never teased someone like how he did with Leo at that moment. He pulled Leo down by the shirt collar and whispered in his ear, “I’m gonna make you pay for this sooner or later,  _ daddy _ .” He licked the inside of Leo’s ear, causing the young Vermillion to shudder, before he let him go. He looked at the people that were watching them--they were all swooning, except for Nozel and Charlotte, who were just blushing and averting their gazes. Asta sucked in a breath and yelled, “Did you hear that, folks? I love Leopold Vermillion!” Then, he flared up his mana and added, “And if any of you so much as look at him funny...I’ll kill you.”

“No need to be so possessive now, Asta-kun,” Julius sweat-dropped.

Before Asta could say anything, Leo’s hand covered his mouth. He didn’t know what made Asta talk like that, but he definitely wanted that pay back sooner rather than later. “He can be possessive with me as much as he’d like, Lord Julius...because I plan to be just as possessive of him.”

“R-Right,” Julius said, sweat-dropping again.  _ This can never mean anything good _ , he thought.

With the proclamation of their love completed, the Magic Knights went their separate ways, pumped for the next day when they could continue training harder. All that was left was Asta and Leo, who hadn’t stopped staring at each other even when everyone else left. Asta was the first to speak up, “It took you long enough, you handsome jerk.”

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, love,” Leo said, caressing Asta’s cheek, who leaned into the touch.

Asta grabbed the hand that was touching his cheek and smiled softly. “‘Love.’ I like that one,” confessed Asta. It was the simplest way either could express how they felt for the other. He stood on his tiptoes to give Leo a quick peck on the lips. “Come on, love. It’s time we told Mother about it.” Leo gave him a nod before kissing his forehead. With that, Leo took his hand and led the way into the infirmary room that held Fuegoleon and Marisol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First ever kissing scene, what do you think?
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL


	21. Chapter 21

_ Royal Capital _

_ The Infirmary  _

Once they arrived, Asta was tackled by Nala, who pushed her head into his as much as she possibly could to show how much the lioness had missed her master. After that, the new couple sat on another bed across from Fuegoleon’s. Nala, being a giant lap cat, spread herself across her master and his boyfriend’s laps. The two recounted what had happened outside to Marisol as she redressed Fuegoleon’s wound. There was a moment of silence after Leo had said he meant every single word when he burned that unbreakable vow into his forehead.

“You’re just like your father, Leo,” stated Marisol, breaking the silence. Leonard was the same age as him when he said the same thing about marriage. The only difference: Leonard proposed. Since then, it hadn’t been uncommon to marry at such a young age. “If you’re actually serious about this, then I have to ask,” she looked at the grey-haired boy, “Asta, are you willing to move in with Leo?”

Asta wasn’t shocked to hear this. Numerous times, Captain Fuegoleon would occasionally slip in the proposal to switch Magic Knights squads. It made sense since the only time Asta was really at the Black Bulls’ headquarters was to sleep; the rest of his time was spent with Leo at the Vermillion Estate. Heck, he already had a room all reserved for himself there because he even slept there more often. But still... “I’m...not sure yet, Mother. The Black Bulls were the first people to accept me outside of my orphanage family...and Finral is the best big brother anyone could ask for. I can’t just up and leave after only staying a couple of months.”

“I understand, Asta dear. You don’t have to rush into this. But I want to let you know that I can make arrangements so that you can live with us, become a Crimson Lion King, but still go on missions with the Black Bulls despite being in a different squad,” said Marisol calmly. Being a well-respected Grand Magic Knight, healer, and royal did have its perks that she seldom took advantage of. But if her son was being serious about wanting to marry Asta, then she wouldn’t mind pulling some strings.

“You can really do that, Mother?” asked Leo in shock

“Pfft, of course I can, Leo,” she scoffed, a little offended by her son’s disbelief. Turning back to Asta, she added, “The only difference is that you’ll have to wear a Crimson Lion King’s cape, but I don’t think you’ll have a problem representing both squads.” She pointed with her chin to the Black Bulls’ insignia on the left pectoral of Asta’s black jacket.

She had a point. Asta smiled as he grazed his hand over the insignia. “But what about Captain Yami? Shouldn’t both captains have a say on this?”

“It may not look like it, Asta, but Yami cares a lot for your well-being and wants you where you’re happy. Don’t tell him I told you this, but he met up with me to check up on you after that one week where you didn’t come back to their base,” Marisol whisper-yelled. She crossed her arms on her chest and snorted, “Plus, I don’t think he’ll have a problem, especially with whom I think will be the temporary Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings…”

Leo gulped. “You don’t mean…” Leo knew that Randall wouldn’t want to hold the position for more than a few months. The man despised paperwork after all. But it couldn’t be  _ her _ \--anyone but  _ her _ .

“Oh, but I do, Leo,” Marisol corrected with a sinister smile. Then, she noticed that Asta was just blinking back and forth between the two, trying to understand what was going on. “Do you remember when I talked to you about my three children?”

“Oh, so you’re talking about Ms. Mereleona, right? She sounded pretty cool,” said Asta plainly. When he and Marisol had had an hours-long conversation about their lives after paying their respects to Asta’s unnamed child, she talked about Mereleona a lot. Asta found her interesting because she went her own way and defied all the royal laws so that she could get her way. Plus, if Marisol’s stories were true about her being the “Uncrowned, Undefeated Lioness”, then Asta would definitely like training with her.

“She is not cool, Asta. She would pound me into the ground every time she came home because I never got strong enough according to her,” Leo disagreed, shivering at the memory.

Asta leaned into Leo’s ear and tried to channel in that person from earlier. “If you can get her to become temporary captain...I’ll let you pound me anytime, anywhere,  _ daddy _ .” He could see Leo shudder as he said that. Was it this easy to get Leo to do anything for him?  _ No, Asta. He’s your boyfriend. Don’t use sex to get what you want _ , he chided himself.

Leo turned to his mother. “Mother, please do everything in your power to get Sister to become temporary captain. I believe she’ll be a great benefit to the squad.”

Marisol was taken aback at the sudden change in attitude. “I’ll do what I can, Leo,” she said, a bit confused as to why Leo fist-pumped when she said it. She turned back to Asta and asked, “The question comes back to you, Asta. Will you move in with Leo and become a Crimson Lion King?”

“It’s really appealing, Mother...but I’d like to see what Big Bro Finral and the other members have to say about this. I’ll make sure to address this as soon as I can,” Asta said.

“Take your time, sweetie,” assured Marisol, placing a hand on his knee.

With that, Asta and Leo talked more about the possibility of transferring. It made Asta a little less nervous when Leo told him that all the members wanted to be trained by him after seeing him spar with Leo numerous times. It was something he and Leo did whenever Asta had a rare day-off from missions and whatnot. Asta never held back, as per Leo’s request, which always ended up in the latter having to be healed by Marisol. After some time, Asta finally agreed that he’d give them an answer within a week. Before they parted, Asta said he’d spend most of the week at the Black Bulls’ headquarters to discuss the matter with his squadmates. He didn’t want to tell Leo that he was going to visit Yuno so that he could get his advice on the matter.

_ Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room _

_ The day of the attack on the Royal Capital, nighttime _

Yuno was in his room reading a book Finral had gotten him. He was recovering from the mana exhaustion he had experienced when he had to defend the Royal Capital after almost all of the Magic Knights were swallowed up by spatial magic and teleported elsewhere. His run-in with a witch had awoken the Wind Spirit that was sleeping in his grimoire. It had been the same little fairy girl that had saved Asta in that dungeon except that time, he had complete control over his thoughts and the mana she offered. Attacking using spirit magic had taken a lot out of him, and the last thing he remembered was falling onto something fluffy. 

The next thing he knew, he was in his room with Mimosa and Klaus, who had just gotten back from the infirmary. They explained to him everything that happened. His heart sank when he heard Asta was captured, meaning that he couldn’t save the man he loved unrequitedly yet again. He couldn’t help but notice how his two best friends’ voices trailed off as they started talking about what happened once Asta came back. He had tried to pressure them into telling him but when they said that it was best that Asta told him what happened, the corners of his heart began to crack. Whatever it was, he needed his number one best friend, Finral, by his side because he could always make him feel better (Asta didn’t count since Yuno saw Asta as more than a best friend).

So, he was just sitting there, waiting--no--expecting Finral to come because at this point, the man should know when he needed him. As if Finral was reading his thoughts wherever the man was, the dirty-blonde stepped through his spatial magic portal on cue. Yuno felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips--the same could be said with Finral. Yuno wasted no time as he dropped the book on the bed and lunged at Finral, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist. He dug his nose into Finral’s neck to smell that pleasant aroma of green apples, fresh mint, and lemon.

“Heya, sleepy head, did you miss me?” chuckled Finral, stroking Yuno’s hair unconsciously. He was thankful for the occasional training sessions that he had with Asta because now he didn’t stagger back to keep Yuno on him when before, he would have easily fell backwards and hit his head on the carpet,

The pet name made the cracks in Yuno’s heart recede. For some reason, he liked it when Finral called him anything but “Yuno”. He lifted his head and feigned a pout, “Of course, I missed my number one best friend, but the question is: Did you miss me?” He didn’t notice Finral cringe because he was already eyeing the chicken curry and rice that Finral had brought with him. It became Yuno’s favorite the instant his tongue made contact with the creamy, spicy sauce. He had had some of the cooks in Golden Dawn replicate it, but they could never make it as good as Finral’s.

_ Right...still a friend. But hey, at least I’m number one now,  _ thought Finral, trying to cheer himself up. “Of course I did, sleepy head,” said Finral in a strained voice.  _ I always miss you _ , thought Finral. Setting his feelings aside, Finral walked himself and Yuno over to the table that he and Yuno ate at anytime Finral came to visit. He set the food down and slipped his hand through a portal to get two bowls and spoons. He also slipped his hand through another portal to get his mission report. As per usual, Finral gave Yuno a large heaping of food and slipped his hand through a small portal that handed the bowl of chicken curry and rice to the raven-haired boy that was facing the other way. This would always elicit a small giggle from Yuno, which, according to Asta, was a rarity in and of itself, so Finral always cherished this moment in their routine. Finral prepared his own bowl and got to eating. They ate there in a comfortable silence--another thing that Finral knew Yuno liked--until Yuno was the first one to speak up, signaling that he had already finished his first bowl and would soon be requesting seconds.

“Where were you today, Finral? I thought you were going to meet up with us when we met with the Wizard King,” asked Yuno with a hint of distress. He wasn’t going to admit it to anyone but when he saw Leo and Asta so close to each other, his mind went straight to Finral for some reason.

Finral, sensing this distress, put his spoon down and began to stroke through Yuno’s hair. “I was sent on a search and destroy mission that took all day…” He handed him a second serving of food.

“Don’t tell me. It was a wild goose chase, wasn’t it?” snorted Yuno.

“That’s exactly what it was,” said Finral, a bit surprised. “How did you kn..?”

“Mimosa, Klaus, and I were sent on one a couple of months back. It came out of nowhere. We ended up with nothing like you probably did,” recalled Yuno. They practically went around the entire kingdom, searching for clues.

“Yeah, well, you’re right about my team ending up with nothing,” sighed Finral. Magna and Luck had both been itching for a fight, so the moment they made it back home, the two battled it out. Then, he remembered what Captain Yami had told them about what had happened while all of the Black Bulls were gone on missions. “What’s this about an attack on the Royal Capital?”

Yuno sighed. He contorted his body around to put his bowl down on the table, having already finished it since it was about half of his first serving. With that, he recounted to Finral everything that happened--from the war merits award ceremony to Asta bolting out to the undead to the Eye of the Midnight Sun to Asta being captured to Fuegoleon being injured to Yuno fighting a witch. Finral listened intently and commented only when he thought it was necessary. Once Yuno finished, the two discussed the possibility of a traitor through the similar thought process that Julius and Asta went through. They came to the conclusion that there was definitely a traitor because no one could get past the Royal Capital’s magical defenses without having someone working from the inside. After that, they discussed what had happened, according to Mimosa and Klaus, while Yuno was recovering back at headquarters. 

It was when they got to the subject of Asta and Leo that they heard a knocking on the French doors that led to the balcony of Yuno’s spacious room. Both men knew who it was by the mana. So, Finral, with Yuno still clutching to his body, walked over to open the French doors to Asta, who was grinning smugly at Finral while he hovered on his broomstick. “What’s up, Big Bros?”

Unlike Finral, who ruffled Asta’s hair and invited him to come in, Yuno didn’t greet him verbally--he just gave Asta a curt wave with the back of his hand while he tightened his hold on Finral’s body. He couldn’t face Asta right now, especially when he knew what he was going to say. It was obvious what Mimosa and Klaus had meant when they said that Asta should be the one to tell him.

Asta hopped off his broom and pulled up a chair so that he faced Finral when he sat down in his own chair. Asta was delighted to see Yuno finding someone to cling onto. It would make what he was about to say a little more bearable. “So, how are you, Big Bro Yuno?” He received no answer, making Asta feel all the more guilty for what he was about to say.

It was when Finral whispered into his ear to talk to the man he loved that Yuno answered tersely, “Fine.”

Asta winced at the short answer. In normal circumstances, he would’ve shrugged it off as Yuno trying to keep his impassive personality, but this situation was anything but normal. It wouldn’t be fair to dance around the issue now. So, Asta just went for it. “Leo is my boyfriend. I think I want to move in with him and become a Crimson Lion King, but I’m still hesitant about it, so I wanted to ask you two and our squadmates at the Black Bulls for some advice.” He didn’t mention the marriage part because even he was still trying to process what that meant. It had seemed like Leo was serious about it, but Asta was still unsure.

Surprisingly, neither men were surprised by this. Even Yuno because as long as he was in his number one best friend’s arms, he could think clearly and logically. “I knew this day would come,” sighed Finral into Yuno’s ear, making the raven-haired boy shudder. “I just didn’t think it would be so soon, kiddo.”

“Huh?” Asta was baffled by Finral and Yuno’s state of calm. He thought the two would have raised hell at the mention of Asta being with Leo.

“What Finral’s trying to say, dumbass, is that you’ve been spending time with that bastard so much that you’ve practically moved into their estate. All you needed was to make it official, right Finral?” stated Yuno. It was sort of awkward for Asta and Finral to listen to Yuno because he was facing away from both of them. On the other hand, Yuno was comfortable with the position because he got to hold Finral and didn’t have to look at Asta.  _ Anyone but Asta right now _ , thought Yuno.

Finral nodded in agreement. He tried to hide his smile but couldn’t--it was an incredible feeling to hear Yuno read his thoughts loud and clear. It made Finral’s heart do somersaults in his chest. Asta was teasing him by making his hands act like faces that were kissing each other. Finral stuck his tongue out at him in response.

Despite already teasing Finral, Asta couldn’t help but be shocked at how well Yuno was taking the news. “I suppose this makes sense, Big Bro Finral...Especially since neither of us sleep in our room at the headquarters together anymore.” He snickered when he got the reaction he wanted from Yuno.

Yuno shifted in his position, squeezing Finral tighter, who was at this point, suffocating. It didn’t matter to Yuno because only Yuno could be this close to Finral. He didn’t know why, but the thought of Finral being with anyone else but him made him...jealous? Why was he jealous?  _ It’s probably my feelings for Asta again _ , thought Yuno.

“Yu...no...breathe...let...me...breathe,” struggled Finral, gasping for air at the unexpected strength.  _ This must be the cuddle monster in him...so cute _ , thought Finral, crying crocodile tears. Once he could breathe, he turned to Asta and asked, “What’s that supposed to mean, kiddo?”

Asta smiled fiendishly. “Oh...nothing. It’s just that if I knew Yuno as well as Yuno knew me, then the past few days have been him trying to hint at you to sleep over with him every. Single. Night.” He winked at Finral, making him blush.

“I-Is this true, Yuno?” stammered Finral. Yuno wanted him to be with him every night?

Yuno was definitely grateful for being able to hide behind Finral because his red blush covered his entire face and went down to his neck.  _ Damn you, Asta, you beautiful, perceptive dumbass _ , thought Yuno. He didn’t answer verbally. Instead, he just nodded into Finral’s neck. He would never admit it, but he couldn’t bear to have Finral leave him now. He was the second person next to Asta that made his nightmares go away and replaced them with wonderful dreams with that man with the unknown face. But now that Asta wouldn’t be with him...he needed Finral more than ever. Luckily, Finral got the message.

Asta grinned his toothy grin and gave Finral a thumbs-up. But then, he remembered that he wanted to talk to his squadmates about it first. “So what do you think everyone else in the Black Bulls will say?”

_ What will everyone else say about this?  _ wondered Finral. It would probably be a mix of emotions, but nothing negative, especially since everyone there thought the same thing--that Asta would eventually move in once Leo came to his senses, which took way too long in Finral’s humble opinion. “I think everyone will be alright with it, kiddo,” assured Finral confidently.

Asta smiled at that. Having received blessings from both his big brothers, Asta turned the conversation to Finral’s mission. He was glad that Finral’s mission had ended up being a wild goose chase, but that only made matters worse. He confirmed Finral and Yuno’s suspicions of a traitor in their ranks, explaining to them the meeting he had had with the Wizard King prior to the war merits award ceremony. They tried to figure out who it could be, listing all the possible perpetrators that knew Leo, Yuno, Asta, and Finral. The investigation had reached midnight when Finral declared that it was time to get some rest. With that, Asta went back to the Black Bulls’ headquarters to get some rest while Finral got his nighttime essentials from his and Asta’s room, Yuno still clinging onto him. Yuno introduced Finral to Sylph, who immediately took a liking to Finral. So much so that she read the spatial mage’s feelings for Yuno loud and clear. She was about to state until Finral “accidentally” smacked her across the room and into a different dimension. When she returned, she still liked the man and approved of him but easily hid it behind her rage.

_ Nean Village _

_ A couple of days after the attack _

The damage to the infrastructure in the Royal Capital had only been minor, proving that the primary targets were Magic Knights and the inhabitants of the Royal Capital. This had meant that Asta and the Magic Knights didn’t have to standby to help with repairs. In fact, within a day, Magic Knights had already been sent out to go on missions. Leo had been excited...too excited. The last time Asta had seen Leo was in the infirmary, but his mother had told Asta that his boyfriend was going crazy with refurbishing his room, the estate, and practically everyone else’s room. Asta had been able to understand the first one since if Asta were to move in, it would mean that he and Leo would be sleeping together, but the last two were just slightly unnerving. Why did Leo have to refurbish the estate and all of his squadmates’ rooms? If it had anything to do with what Asta promised Leo in the infirmary if he could get Mereleona to become temporary captain, then Asta had really screwed himself over, physically and metaphorically.

That was another thing. Asta had never had problems with backing up his words with his actions, but the thought of having consensual sex, or sex in general, horrified him. His reasons were obvious and it seemed like Leo would have understood, but he didn’t want to disappoint Leo because he couldn’t give his boyfriend what he wanted. That was the harsh truth: even if he and Leo were a thing now, Asta still couldn’t accept any man to be that close to him. Backing up a bit, Asta also doubted that Leo would want to accept a “used toy” like him in that way. In any other situation, he wouldn’t have listened to what people called him. But this was not any other situation--Revchi didn’t just physically rape him, he raped his mind as well, burning those words into it while he shattered his heart. In essence, Asta doubted that this relationship would last because he still didn’t believe that there was faith, hope, or love for him. It was a horrible way to think that way but everytime he tried to fight, the memories would return--the words, the screams, the sounds, everything. But it had been thanks to Yuno, Finral, Leo, Marisol and his squadmates that he decided to stand back up and keep fighting. Yes, there was that small fragment of his former self that hoped that Leo would be the one to get him over this hurdle, through this wall, across the ocean of despair to the promised land that guaranteed nothing but faith, love, and hope. He was grateful that Leo was so patient with him, so Asta could only hope that when the time came to give up his body willingly to the man he loved, Leo would guide him to that promised land.

As for Finral and Yuno, it had appeared as if Yuno was starting to take first place in the competition to be the densest idiot in the world. The “progress” that Finral was always so eager to discuss had to do with the fact that Yuno had become so clingy with Finral after Asta’s announcement that Leo was his boyfriend and was planning to move in that his foster-brother didn’t even bother hanging onto the dirty-blonde while he went to the bathroom. The only times Yuno would let go would be when Finral was changing, taking a shower, or taking a dump. Other than that, Yuno had said that he could care less if Finral’s dick was out while he clung to him, “ _ As long as he does not spill any on me, then we’re good _ ,” said Yuno, according to Finral because if he could bathe with Asta completely naked, then he could cling onto Finral while he was taking a piss. At that point, Asta had to question Finral’s definition of “progress”, but to each his own he supposed. Asta still pitied Finral because Yuno would never hesitate to talk about his feelings for Asta openly with someone who was giving him as much, if not more, love compared to Asta when they were younger.

When it came to discussing moving out of the Black Bulls and transferring, Asta had held back. He thought, at least, that if he was going to talk about it, then his entire second-family should be present. Unfortunately, Asta hadn’t gotten the chance because everyone was out doing missions that took days to complete. According to Captain Yami, who said exactly what Marisol had said he would say (he wanted what was best for Asta), his squadmates would be back towards the end of the week. So, while he waited, having already finished his own multi-day mission, he had decided to drop by Nean, a village in the Common Realm. 

He and Leo had gone on a date there a couple of weeks back when they had dinner at a famous diner in the village. It was where they had met Rebecca Scarlet, a sixteen-year-old teenager with blue eyes and red hair who had five siblings that she took care of from a young age since her parents had died. She was working in her parents’ diner as the sole owner while also caring for her younger siblings. It didn’t help that she was the sole waitress and chef of the diner that had been having a busy night that night. All seemed well and Rebecca had been surprisingly keeping up with the orders while preparing others until Marco, one of her younger brothers, had accidentally spilled a bowl of hot soup on his hand. Rebecca had dropped everything, which angered some customers, threatening a “bad review”, and rushed to her little brother’s side. Asta, who had watched it happen, dashed for the child and healed the little red-head’s burns. Before Rebecca could thank him, Asta had offered to help out with the busy night, sympathizing with her and telling her of his own foster-siblings that could be a handful. Asta had answered for her, ordering Leo to take the orders while he helped Rebecca cook. Luckily, Nala had tagged along, and it seemed that the kids liked her a lot; Nala, on the other hand, had looked bored out of her mind but played along since her master was busy at work...again. Once the night had been over, Rebecca’s siblings asked if they could play with Asta sometime to which Asta happily agreed. The night would have ended splendidly had it not been for Leo getting jealous of Rebecca giving Asta a kiss on the cheek. Asta had appeased his date by giving him another one of his “clues”, which always served to confuse Leo and turn him into a blushing mess.

Anyways, Asta was with Nala again as they met up with Rebecca and her siblings in front of Nean’s orphanage church. There were more children than usual, which only meant that the kids’ orphan friends came to play. This brought a warm smile to Asta’s face as memories of him and his foster-siblings’ back in Hage playing tag came flashing back. Nala didn’t look amused as the kids surrounded the teen lioness and played with her ears and tail. Nala would occasionally look up at her master in a “please end my suffering” look. Asta paid no heed as he spun around in circles with Marie dangling onto his bicep; it was the same Marie in Gauche’s picture. 

Unfortunately, things went south fairly quickly when Asta was kicked in the face by Gauche’s leather boot. Nala was about to pounce on his squadmate when Marie threw a curveball at her brother, declaring that she loved Asta and was going to marry him. This served to make Gauche faint with Nala flopping on top of him, also fainting. Gauche fainted because...well, Gauche. Nala fainted because her friend Secré had explained to her the other day that her master was getting married to his close friend, Leo, making her think that Leo would have to fight a little girl for her master’s hand. Things somewhat recovered after Marie was taken back to the church by Sister Theresa, although Gauche still had a look of murderous intent aimed for a certain grey-haired boy. 

He would try to actually commit first-degree murder that same night when Asta, who had agreed to have a sleepover with the Scarlet siblings (much to Nala’s dismay). It appeared that Asta and Nala were going to have to battle his senior in order to beat some sense into him. That was until they noticed that it was snowing during the wrong time of the year. Asta, thanks to his heightened mana sensing, could feel that this was no ordinary weather phenomenon, but rather the work of a snow mage. That was when he and Gauche were met with the disheartened cries of all the parents of the village, who were looking for their kids that had unexpectedly gone missing. Gauche was reluctant to help until Sister Theresa, rushing out of the orphanage church, announced that the orphans, including Marie, were also missing. Gauche looked like he was actually going to harm the sister had it not been for Asta knocking some sense into his senior. After regaining his composure, Gauche realized that he could use his mirror magic to pinpoint Marie, and possibly the kids’ location. 

  
The group, consisting of Gauche, Asta, and Sister Theresa, who revealed her former occupation as a Magic Knight that trained the Vermillion siblings (except Leo), was about to set out on broom had it not been for Nala biting her master’s leg, begging him to let her come. Asta couldn’t waste any more time trying to force his friend to stay put, so he chose to bring her. But Nala couldn’t be on a broom for obvious reasons, and she was too big to carry now, so Asta was forced to try out a transportation spell he had been working on,  **Demon Light Magic: Apollo’s Arrow** , that would allow him to cover a great distance in a matter of seconds. It was meant for only him, but the present circumstances didn’t permit that. Unfortunately, the spell was still a work-in-progress because Asta couldn’t control its speed and with demon light magic being faster than regular light magic...well, everyone except Asta ended up with whiplash by the end of the trip. Surprisingly, Gauche was the biggest complainer of the three, but no one bothered to address that issue when they saw Marco, who was caught in some trance, lying in the snow outside the cave where Gauche had pinpointed Marie’s location and Asta had sensed multiple children’s manas. The spell was easy to break thanks to Asta’s Demon-Slayer Sword, which he used the tip of its cross-guard to tap the child’s head, undoing the magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided that it would be best to split a nearly 10,000-word chapter into two shorter ones. I hope you understand and weren’t thrown off by this chapter’s abrupt ending. Let me know what you think of the story so far.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL


	22. Chapter 22

_ Somewhere near Nean Village _

_ Night that the children went missing _

The group wasted no time and went straight into the cave where Asta beheld a sight that made him go berserk--all the kids were lined up, entranced in a magic spell, to have their mana extracted by some sort of machine. Asta wasted no time in attacking the burly man that was operating the machine, side-stepping the snow mage, Neige, who was apparently the burly man’s younger brother, that he assumed was responsible for the crime. He was about to end his life had it not been for Sister Theresa snapping him out of his rage. He then focused his attention on the children, tapping all of their heads with his Demon-Slayer Sword’s cross-guard to release the magic on them. 

Then, out of nowhere, Sally appeared, apparently having been called up by the burly man, who was named Baro. She injected some sort of dark magic serum into Baro, turning him into a mud monster that could regenerate its limbs. Gauche tried to deal with Sally while Asta dealt with Baro, forced to use his anti-magic weapons so that he didn’t destroy the place with the kids still in it. At some point, Gauche realized that his mirror magic was no use against Sally’s gel magic, so he high-tailed it out of the cave with Marie like a coward. Unwilling to drag the battle out any longer, Asta ordered Nala to help get the kids back to safety and had Sister Theresa take the rest of the kids on her fire leopard. 

To his surprise, Gauche came back, claiming that Marie would be sad if Asta died. Two against one, Sally was taken down easily. Asta was going to deal the final blow had it not been for Valtos and the same male figure with gold eyes and braided white hair, wearing the robes that signified his affiliation with the Eye of the Midnight Sun, saving the black-haired girl. As “payback” for injuring Sally, the male figure called upon his grimoire to create multiple shards of light that had four lines going through each shard and fired it at Gauche, Asta, and Neige. Asta was able to dodge the attacks easily, but the other two weren’t as lucky, light shards piercing through their bodies, sending them back far against the wall of the cave, and pinning them there. The sight made Asta roar in fury, but before he could turn back to his enemies, a light shard was already making its way to him, too close for Asta to dodge or deflect.

At the last second, a familiar katana, cloaked in dark magic, appeared through a portal and broke the light shard aimed at Asta. Out came Captain Yami and Finral, who said that Noelle had called for them. Finral asked how he could help, knowing that this was not a fight he could fight with his little brother. Asta ordered, “Get Gauche and that guy with long white hair out of here and back to the village!” Finral gave a curt nod and proceeded to teleport himself, Gauche, and Neige out of the cave to be healed. Finral silently wished his little brother good luck. Asta turned back to Valtos and the male figure and pointed his pitch-black shortsword and Demon-Slayer Sword at them. “I’m gonna make you two pay for what you did to Neige and Gauche!” he yelled threateningly.

“No. You’re not, kid. Go for the weird-looking dude with round eyes and then maybe I’ll consider you trying to take on the dude with no eyebrows,” Yami deadpanned. He needed to see if Asta’s training was paying off before he would let him go to Fuegoleon’s squad.

“But Captain Yami..!” Asta pouted before Yami grabbed his head in a death grip. The first time he did this, he was scared out of his mind but as the months passed, Asta figured out that this gesture, at least for Asta, meant “do it because I believe in you” or “get me a goddamn toilet paper roll before I kill you”. Asta figured it was the former, remembering that he had left the captain an extra toilet paper roll this morning during his chores.

“Do it or I’ll kill you,” threatened Yami before he dropped Asta. He turned toward the male figure and took a long drag of his cigarette. “Oi! I’m guessing you’re the leader of this Eye of the Midnight Sun terrorist, am I right? Or am I right?”

“Yami Sukehiro, the Magic Knight heretic,” started the male figure in a calm, cold tone, “I am pleased to meet you. I suppose introductions will not be a problem since you two will be dead when this is over. Yes, Yami, you are correct. I am the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Licht. But you are gravely mistaken if you believe that we are terrorists.”  **_Be careful with Asta, Licht_ ** , reminded the voice in his head.  _ Of course I will _ , Licht answered back.

“Eh? So if you don’t plan on terrorizing the Clover Kingdom, then why are you here?” asked Yami impassively.

“We are here to rid the kingdom of the real terrorists--the Magic Knights,” smiled Licht fiendishly.

“You realize any threat like that forces me to have to take action,” stated Yami coldly, taking another long drag of his cigarette.

“I’d like to see you try,” retorted Licht, calling up his grimoire and reciting the same spell that he had used on Asta, Gauche, and Neige, “ **Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction** .” He fired the shards of light at Yami and Asta, telling Valtos to call up the Third Eye.

“ **Dark Magic: Dark-Cloaked Blade** ,” said Yami. With that, he coated his katana with dark magic and slashed at the flying shards with ease. As expected, Asta was dodging the light magic with ease when Yami glanced toward him. His mouth was agape as well, probably surprised by the fact that Yami was keeping up with light magic, pretending as if it were nothing. He shouted at Asta, “Kid, you ready?” Asta nodded at him. “Go.”

With the signal, Asta launched himself at a portal that Valtos was opening behind him. The moment he passed through the portal, he cloaked his fist with mana and punched Valtos square in the face, sending him flying back to the wall of the cave, which cracked upon impact.  _ Pay back’s a bitch _ , thought Asta. He jumped back to Captain Yami and looked at him proudly. “Do I get to fight No-Eyebrows with you now, captain?”

“Heh, sure, kid, why not?” snorted Yami. He was impressed that Asta was able to sense and react fast enough to the disturbance in mana near him. If Yami could have guessed, Asta might have accidentally used mana zone as a detection field when he had claimed that he didn’t even know what it was.

Licht flew to Valtos, who was knocked unconscious.  **_I told you to be careful with him_ ** , snided the voice in his head.  _ Shut up, asshole _ , answered Licht. One human was already enough to deal with. Licht feigned his shock and turned to Asta and Yami. In a shaky breath he threatened, “You two...will pay for this…” He hovered towards the two and flared up his mana. He flipped to the same page of his grimoire and recited, “ **Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction** .” He fired the magic at the two Magic Knights once more.

Asta opened his own grimoire and noticed that he had a similar spell. He had no time to question how it suddenly appeared, so he recited, “ **Demon Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction** .” With that, identical shards of light, but this time with faint-grey light, appeared in line with their counterparts. Asta fired it straight at them, nullifying the attack.

This time, Licht was truly shocked.  _ You said he barely possessed any light spells! _ shouted Licht at the voice in his head.  **_He didn’t...the last time I saw him_ ** , answered the voice.  _ And when was this? _ questioned Licht. No answer. Licht gritted his teeth. He flipped to another page in his grimoire and recited, “ **Light Magic: Bright Judgement Whip** .” With that, a whip made of light formed into his right hand; it seemed to extend endlessly.

Suddenly, Asta’s own grimoire flipped to a new page and began to write a new spell. Asta read it over and was stunned as he noticed it was nearly identical to Licht’s. He really didn’t know what was going on, but he knew he had to use it. “ **Demon Light Magic: Bright Judgement Whip** .” With that, an identical long whip made of faint-grey light formed into his hand. Asta called Captain Yami, who was equally baffled, “Captain, I don’t know what the hell’s going on, but all I can do is make openings for you by nullifying his light magic with my own!” He saw his captain nod at him. With that, he whipped the rope made of faint-grey light as Licht whipped his. Neither of them seemed to have any control over where it went but wherever the two whips crossed, they would nullify each other until both users held nothing. The only result was Asta’s drained mana and a large hole in the ceiling of the cave.

While this happened, Yami took every opening he could find. Licht was still able to dodge most of his attacks, but he was struggling with having to battle on two fronts. Still, he tried again to eliminate Asta, flipping to another page of his grimoire and reciting, “ **Light Magic: Heaven-Splitting Flash** .” With that, multiple orbs of light formed around him. He directed them at the grey-haired boy, firing beams of light from the orbs.

Just like with the previous two spells, Asta’s grimoire flipped to a blank page, writing a spell that was nearly identical to Licht’s. Just like before, Asta recited the new spell, “ **Demon Light Magic: Heaven-Splitting Flash** .” With that, multiple orbs of grey light formed around, and he fired the beams that extended from them towards the beams that were aimed at him, nullifying the two light magic users’ attacks once more. This gave Captain Yami the opening he needed to land a meaningful strike that cut a deep, vertical wound on Licht’s body, forcing him to hover back. After this, Finral and, to Asta’s surprise, Gauche came back to help.

Licht flew near the ceiling and flipped to another page of his grimoire. “You have thoroughly amazed me, Magic Knight. To think that someone’s magic could keep up with my light magic. Before you die, I will give you some information. You possess a rare mutation of light magic--demon light. It is a faster, denser, more powerful mutation of light magic but requires more mana from its user. Therefore, with my next spell, you will surely perish even if you are able to match my power.” With that, Licht began to concentrate an immense amount of light magic into his hands, beginning to form a sphere of light that encapsulated his body.

Yet again, a nearly identical spell wrote itself into Asta’s grimoire.  _ Damnit! If he’s right, then...No! I can’t give up now! Yuno will have my ass if I let him even get ahead of me to become Wizard King _ , thought Asta. He gritted his teeth. “Captain Yami, Big Bro, Gauche--get behind me! This spell will destroy anything that stands in its way!” No one questioned him; they did as he said with Yami surrounding himself and his two subordinates in his  **Dark Magic: Black Cocoon** that would absorb any light magic that touched it.

As Captain Yami’s dark magic surrounded him, Finral felt a sharp pain in his chest as he remembered what Yuno had pleaded with him when he was called for duty,  _ “Please, Finral. If I can’t protect him, I only trust you to protect him for me.” _ He called his little brother’s name, “Asta!” The grey-haired boy didn’t turn, but Finral knew he was listening. “Don’t die, kiddo…”

Asta gave him a nod before his squadmates and captain were covered in dark magic. “As if I’d die before I saw you two marry, Big Bro,” he whispered under his breath. He turned his attention back to Licht, who was concentrating an ridiculous amount of light magic now.  _ Can I reall- No, stop it, Asta!  _ he chided himself. “I can do this...Right here...Right now...I’m going to surpass my limits…” Asta knew he had enough mana to at least double the amount Licht was putting in. He’d have to deal with the repercussions later. Asta flared up his mana as much as he could, making the ground beneath and around him crack instantly under the pressure. He began to concentrate demon light magic into his hands like Licht. “ **Demon Light Magic…** ”

“ **Light Magic…** ” began Licht.

“ **Light Shaft of Divine Punishment!** ” shouted the two in unison. With that, a large column of light extended from both users. Light magic battled with demon light magic, each pushing forward only to be pushed back.

“Not yet...Not yet...I can’t give up yet!” shouted Asta as he flared up his mana even more. He felt his body burning, but he pushed forward. It was enough, though, to win the battle. His demon light magic consumed Licht’s light magic, hitting Licht and sending him flying to the other side of the cave, knocking him out temporarily. Unfortunately, the same happened to Asta as he crumbled to the ground, seeing nothing but black.

Yami felt that it was all clear to release his dark magic once he felt the immense mana disappear. Once he removed it, Finral shoved him to the side and knelt to Asta’s unconscious form. “Kiddo…” Finral cried faintly.

“Tch. Don’t be so dramatic, Finral. He’s not dead. And if he is, Marie will be said, which will make me have to kill him,” threatened Gauche.

_ How’s that supposed to work!?  _ wondered Finral as he cradled Asta’s body and rocked him gently.

Yami walked over to Licht to bind him but before he could, three new members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun teleported in front of him, forcing him to jump back. The lady with light-pink hair knelt down to heal Licht with her fire magic. As Licht reawakened, he introduced the three as the Third Eye, the strongest battle mages of their organization, who he claimed surpassed him in combat. The lady with light-pink hair and green eyes was Fana the Hateful; the male with black eyes and messy black hair that had white patches was Raia the Disloyal; and the muscular male with long, blond hair, a blond beard, and razor-sharp teeth was Vetto the Despair. 

The three wasted no time in attacking the Black Bulls now that Asta was not there to defend them. Yami surrounded his subordinates in his  **Dark Magic: Black Cocoon** while he attempted to deal with the three members himself. Yami didn’t last long and was about to be killed with their final attack had it not been for Nozel, Charlotte, and Jack coming to his rescue. With them around, Yami sat back and watched his colleagues battle it out. Nozel explained that Vanessa would kill him if he didn’t try to save Asta when Yami asked what got him to agree to rescue the Black Bulls.

As the battle raged forward, the demon light magic that touched Licht began to react with his body, causing him to release a seal that was placed on him to contain his power. The members of the terrorist organization were forced to redo the seal and retreat, but it was not before Licht proclaimed, “Let that boy know that he may be strong enough to keep up with the likes of me, but he’ll never be strong enough to save everyone that he loves.” With that, the members disappeared through Valtos’s portal.

Finral would have shot back at Licht had it not been for Asta stirring in his arms. Immediately, the group of Magic Knights rushed back to the village to get Asta healed.

_ Nean Village _

_ The next day, morning _

Leo was rushing through the streets of the village in the Common Realm. He could care less if he was shoving people aside as he made a beeline for the infirmary. He ignored the confused gasps of commoners as they recognized the features that gave away his Vermillion family’s royal lineage. He ignored everything and everyone because the only person on his mind was Asta. 

He had woken up early that morning to continue rearranging and buying new furniture for what would soon be his and Asta’s room. He wanted everything perfect for the man he would marry someday. He had been busy moving around their new king-sized bed again when his mother came knocking at his door. Well, what he meant by “knocking” was his mother kicking the door down. Leo would have complained about more money being taken out of his pay had it not been for his mother’s disheveled look on her face. All other words slurred when they had processed in his head except for “something happened to Asta in Nean”, which was all Leo needed to know for him to jump out of their balcony and bolt out of the Royal Capital. He had at least some logic left in him to ask around which way Nean was, having only been there with Asta once. Once he had made it to the outskirts of the village, he decided to go on-foot to ask and that was where he was now.

As soon as he arrived at the door to the infirmary, like his mother and older sister before him, he slammed through the door and called for Asta. Luckily, Nala had smelled his scent already and bit his forearm, dragging him as she led her master’s boyfriend to his room. When he and Nala arrived at the door outside of Asta’s room, Leo took a deep breath and knocked. It was no surprise that Finral answered the door. With a brief greeting to each other, Leo was let in to see Asta. “Asta!” he whisper-yelled so as not to wake his sleeping form. He knelt down by his bedside to cup his hand in his. He had some minor cuts and bruises that were accompanied with any battle but other than that, he looked like he was ok.

Reading Leo’s thoughts, Finral confirmed, “He’ll be alright. It’s just mana exhaustion. The healers said he should be awake later today or early tomorrow morning.” He took two chairs from the examination table on the other side of the room and offered one to Leo as he took a seat on his own.

Leo accepted the chair and sat in it, taking back Asta’s hand in his. “Aren’t mana exhaustion symptoms supposed to subside after at least three days?” He had experienced it once as a Magic Knight after a run-in with some rogue Magic Knights. The battle had taken a lot from him, causing him to pass out, only to wake up three days later in his bedroom with his mother explaining everything that happened and the concept of mana exhaustion. So to hear that Asta was recovering in as little as a day confused Leo.

“That’s what I thought as well,” sighed Finral. “But he’s just like Yuno--stubborn enough that no amount of mana exhaustion would be enough to stop them from missing another hour of training.” He noticed Leo wince at the mention of Yuno’s name. That was when Finral remembered what had happened the night of the entrance exam. “For what it’s worth, Leo, Yuno doesn’t hate you that much anymore. He’s come to understand why you did what you did.” It was true. After Asta’s visit that one night, Yuno opened up more about what he thought about Leo, reluctantly tolerating that that “man-whore” was his beloved’s boyfriend. It took all that Finral had in him to avoid coming out to Yuno about his feelings every time their conversations turned to the topic.

“How do you know how his foster-brother feels?” asked Leo, baffled. During their conversation in the infirmary the night they had become a couple, Asta explained to him why Yuno was so overprotective of him, appearing to avoid something that Leo couldn’t pinpoint. Yet even Asta conceded that it became difficult at times to understand how Yuno felt due to their being in different squads and all.

“Isn’t it obvious, Leo? Yuno loves Asta,” snorted Finral, ignoring the constrictions in his chest as he said those words. He could see that Leo didn’t understand what he meant. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he added, “Yuno is  _ trying _ to understand why you did what you did...he’s more or less tolerating it because he just wants Asta happy, and he knows that it would break his heart to see you two fighting again.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why Yuno attacked me that night. I mean, sure he’s overprotective of Asta--I know that much. But my question is:  _ Why _ is he overprotective of Asta?” Leo clarified. He wanted--no--needed to know because Asta avoided the subject after his terrible explanation that gave Leo more questions than answers.

Finral opened his mouth to respond but closed it immediately to think things through. The room grew quiet as he contemplated whether he should tell Leo or not. He really shouldn’t. Despite having a strong brotherly bond with Asta to the point that he would refer to him as his actual “little brother”, it wouldn’t be his place even if they were actual brothers. But Yuno had told him to tell Leo whenever he got the chance so that Leo could understand why Asta was still somewhat scared of men--his fears had been slowly, but surely, dwindling away as time healed some of his wounds. So what should he do? Listen to the love of his life or respect the best little brother any person could ask for? If Asta were in his place, he would probably just tell Leo because Leo deserved to know if he was going to care for him, especially if Asta was going to move in. Neither Finral nor Yuno could protect him 24/7 now that he had accepted another man into his life. 

Finral decided it was best to let Leo know. But how should he go about this? He took Asta’s other hand and asked the question as if Asta could tell him. When he felt a light squeeze from Asta’s hand, he smiled and squeezed back.  _ Thanks, kiddo _ , he thought. He turned his gaze to Leo and steeled his nerves--if he was going to talk about this, then he couldn’t cry like he had when Asta had told him. He decided to go about it the same way Asta had. “Tell me, Leo. Have you seen that tiny cross in your backyard--the one under the elder tree?”

Leo was caught off-guard by Finral’s knowledge of such detail about his family’s estate since the man only appeared to pick up and drop off Asta. He tried to recall the layout of his backyard and distinctly remembered that there was one tree that stood out among the rest, so he guessed that that was the elder tree. Furthermore, he remembered seeing his mother by it one day when he was picking red camellias from her garden to give to Asta. He gave Finral a nod. “I do...but Mother never told me why it was there.”

“That’s Asta’s child,” stated Finral, swallowing the lump in his throat. He didn’t bother to let it sink in for Leo because he needed to focus on telling him everything first. “Back in Hage Village, where he and Yuno were from, an ex-Magic Knight by the name of Revchi Salik ambushed the two for their four-leaf grimoires after the acceptance ceremony. It was when Revchi couldn’t obtain Asta’s grimoire that he...defiled him. He raped him. But that was not all. Lady Marisol came to check up on Asta and discovered that he had a rare illness called Edmund’s syndrome where he could become pregnant and give birth to healthy babies like a female. Sadly, this was during the time when Asta completely turned off his magic, which is a necessity for those with Edmund’s syndrome since men aren’t normally supposed to bear children. As a result, Asta miscarried his baby. That cross in your backyard is hallowed ground where Lady Marisol chose to honor Asta’s child.” He bit his lip to suppress a sob and waited for Leo’s answer.

Leo felt like his soul left his body. His throat suddenly felt dry as he fought to prevent any tears from falling. Ultimately, he couldn’t, so he just let the tears flow down his cheeks as he grabbed Asta’s hand and kissed the back of it. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Leo found the strength to speak, “I-Is that why...h-he’s so scared of men?” He looked up at Finral, whose form was blurry thanks to the tears in his eyes that hadn’t ceased. Finral gave him a silent nod as Leo saw he, too, was fighting the urge to cry. It all made sense now--Asta’s reaction when Leo first touched him, his tremors when he heard the men of his squad come near, how Asta clung to him whenever they were out, and even how Nala seemed to always be in a protective stance around her master whenever they were out. He felt Nala wiggle her way to rest her head on his lap. Stroking Nala’s head, he asked, “W-Why are you telling me this now?”

Wiping any evidence of tears in his eyes with the forearm of his sleeve, Finral took a deep breath. “Because Asta loves you and I can see that you love Asta as well.” He smiled warmly for the first time at Leo, who returned the gesture. “Plus, I know sex is inevitable in a relationship,” he scoffed, averting his gaze.

Leo’s cheeks heated up at the assertion. Finral was right. In all the time he was preparing his and Asta’s room at the Vermillion Estate, he had spent an entire day fantasizing about all the places in his bedroom where he and Asta could fornicate--the bed, the walk-in closet, the couch, the shower, the bathtub, the floor, the wall, the window, the balcony--one could say that he was taking Asta’s promise of “pounding him anytime, anywhere” to heart. But in all seriousness, now wasn’t the time to think about that. “I can’t--no--I won’t think about that right now. Until Asta’s ready, I’ll abstain.” He knew he could--he’d been doing it for months now.

Finral’s eyes widened at the response.  _ He really did change you, huh?  _ thought Finral. He gave Leo a half-smile and said, “I’ll take your word for that.” With that, the two sat in a comfortable silence as they watched Asta sleep.

_ Nean Village _

_ Infirmary - Asta’s Room _

_ The same evening _

The rest of the day had continued normally...well, as normal as it would get. When Gauche had found out that Asta had finally woken up, he barged into the room and threatened to kill him for wanting to marry Marie, which somehow led to a confrontation between Leo and Marie, who argued for a good twenty minutes on who deserved to marry Asta. The confrontation would have taken an ugly turn had it not been for Rebecca and her siblings barging in as well. It had sort of gone downhill for Gauche after that when Marie declared that she was going to marry Marco instead because he had held her hand while she was scared. The room had only gotten more crowded when the entire Black Bulls squad barged in...through the wall of the building. Asta was bombarded with hugs from his squadmates and was about to suffocate had it not been for Captain Yami punching the wall, making the hole bigger. 

Marco, who was wearing Asta’s Black Bulls’ half-cape that he had given the child so that he didn’t get scared the night they had to wait outside the cave, walked up to Asta’s bedside. He tugged at the sleeve of Asta’s jacket to get his attention. Clutching the half-cape, he said in a small voice, “B-Big Bro Asta...I think I’ll have to give this back to you now that you’re better.” He started to take the half-cape off when Asta rested his hands on the little boy’s shoulders, signaling him to keep it on.

“I don’t think I’ll be needing that anymore,” Asta said softly. He looked at Finral and Captain Yami, who both gave him a curt nod.

“Eh? What ya mean, Shrimpsta? Ya know Captain Yami only gives out one of those, right?” questioned Magna as he ate his pudding.

“Oh hush, you virgin delinquent. I can make plenty of copies for Asta with my thread magic, so he can give away that one to the sweet, little boy,” Vanessa said as she bent down to pinch Marco’s cheeks.

“I’m not a delinquent!” shouted Magna in return, crushing his pudding cup in his hand as he shook his fist at Vanessa.

“Shut up, virgin,” ordered Noelle, impassively. She turned her attention to Asta, ignoring Magna’s retorts that he wasn’t a virgin or a delinquent. She and Asta stared at each other, holding a silent conversation that only the two of them could understand. In the end, Noelle smiled and gave him the nod of approval. “I think Asta has something he wants to tell us.”

All eyes turned to Asta. He looked to Leo, who gave him an encouraging smile and squeezed his hand. He turned his attention back to his squadmates. “Leo and I are a couple,” was all Asta could get out before the whole room erupted in cheer and his squadmates started giving Gordon some yul for losing their bets. Marie fainted because of this while Leo mocked her. Gauche fainted because Marie fainted. Rebecca looked dejected while Noelle told everyone to shut up. Once the noise died down, Asta continued, “I’d like to move in with him and become a Crimson Lion King. Lady Marisol can pull some strings that’ll allow me to go on missions with you all still. But I want to hear your guys’ opinions on it before I make my decision.” Then, the room unexpectedly erupted in laughter, confusing Asta. He looked at Finral, who only shook his head and gave him a knowing look.

“It took you long enough, sweetie,” Vanessa said, giving Asta a wink. “Everyone knew this would happen someday since you practically live there now. We’re glad you’re moving in with your boyfriend and transferring squads because all of us just want what’s best for you.”

“Vanessa’s right, Shrimpsta. And you’re a real man if ya want to continue going on missions with us as a Crimson Lion King. But don’t think we’ll forget about ya ‘cause once a Black Bull, always a Black Bull,” affirmed Magna as he walked up to punch the side of Asta’s jacket that had the Black Bulls’ insignia sewn into it.

“It’s going to be boring now that I can’t fight someone as strong as you, so make sure you come to visit!” exclaimed Luck as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

“I know how much you love my cooking, so make sure to visit whenever you don’t like royal cooking, la!” said Charmy as she stuffed Asta’s mouth with a chocolate cupcake.

Gauche, having recovered from his fainting spell, wiped the blood from his nose. “I don’t care where you go as long as it’s not near Marie...but be careful and take care of yourself...because if you don’t, that’ll make Marie sad and then I’ll really have to kill you.”

“Everyone...thank you,” said Asta, getting teary-eyed. This time, he accepted the suffocating hugs from all of his squadmates. After that, the usual chaos ensued with the Black Bulls. Asta and Leo agreed to have him move in by the end of the week so that he could spend some time with his squadmates while Leo would inform his mother so that she could finalize her plans. With that, everyone went their separate ways since Asta had already fully healed.


	23. Chapter 23

_Black Bulls’ Base, outside_

_End of the week, morning_

The end of the week came by way too quickly. After having reported the incident at Nean to the Wizard King, Asta, Yami, and the Black Bulls had a barbecue because with the number of stars Julius had been awarding the group of misfits since Asta had started going on missions, they finally went from -31 to 0. To anyone outside the squad, they would have thought the Black Bulls had completely lost their minds in celebrating having, technically, no stars at all. But to the squad members, no one other than them needed to understand because it had been their accomplishment that held so much more meaning than a number. Among the many meanings it had, it symbolized the effect Asta had had on the worst Magic Knights squad in history. He had been able to turn a group of misfits and low-grade losers to...a group of misfits and successful, high-grade losers. It had been all the more reason for the squad to celebrate Asta’s arrival, stay, and departure. Asta had thought it was a little strange because he had explained countless times to his squadmates that he was still technically a Black Bull despite soon wearing a Crimson Lion Kings robe. Asta hadn’t bothered explaining himself any further, though, because he didn’t want to ruin the rambunctious fun.

Eventually, each of his squadmates had bid him farewell as the days passed because duty called. Asta wasn’t saddened by it, though. In fact, it was quite the contrary--he was satisfied to see that his diligence and sense of responsibility had influenced the Black Bulls to take on riskier missions and would no longer settle for anything less. It had made transferring squads a hell of a lot easier, and Asta could only hope that he would have the same effect on his new squadmates. Yes, after having seen his squadmates act the way they did, Asta finally held onto hope. Not only that, he had faith that the Black Bulls’ reputation would change for the better. The only thing that was left to reform the three-leaf clover in his soul was love, and he hoped Leo could fulfill that so that Asta could finally be free from the iron chains that had once shattered his heart.

But before Asta could leave the place that he had called his home for the past few months, Yami had intercepted him that morning. Asta thought his soon-to-be-former captain was going to throw in one last chore before he left but to his surprise, Yami wanted to leave Asta with a “parting gift”. With that, Captain Yami headed outside, holding the handle of his katana, and Asta followed right behind. When they got outside, Yami unsheathed his katana and cloaked it in dark magic. “I know you were curious as to how I could keep up with you and No-Eyebrows, but just to prove a point, I want you to come at me with those light shard thingies.”

“A-Are you sure, Captain Yami?” hesitated Asta. If what Licht said was true, then his demon light magic would be faster...could Yami really keep up with it?

“Do you want me to kill you?” threatened Yami.

“N-No!” Asta yelped, shaking his head frantically. He took out his grimoire, flipped to the page, and recited, “ **Demon Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction**.” With that, the same light shards that he had used to counter Licht’s appeared around him. He directed the spell to Captain Yami. To his astonishment, Yami broke all of them without breaking a sweat.

Yami sheathed his katana and took a long drag of his cigarette before revealing, “It’s called ‘ki’, kid. It’s a concept from my homeland, the Land of the Rising Sun. The definition’s complicated…” he sighed. “...Think of it like the natural energy that comes from people and objects. It lets me determine how you feel, your movements, and who you are. Using my magic and muscle, I can use distortions in ki to predict your next move, allowing me to plan a counterattack.” He picked up a pebble near him. “Turn around, kid. I want you to try to catch this pebble I’m gonna throw at you. Feel its ki to determine where it’s coming from.”

Asta had no time to recover from the shock. He nodded and turned around. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to sense the pebble. He felt a distortion coming towards him, but he couldn’t tell where it was aimed at. So, he just turned around and brought out his hand, hoping that it would catch something. Sadly, he caught nothing and was hit in the right thigh with the pebble.

“Idiot!” Yami roared. “You didn’t try to read the pebble’s ki; you sensed my change in mana!” He had been wanting to teach Asta the concept because he felt that Asta would be able to grasp it quickly, but the only problem was the fact that Asta, like every other Magic Knight he knew, was too reliant on mana sensing, which was why he had cloaked the pebble in a bit of dark magic to both fool Asta and determine if he had actually grasped the concept. Clearly he hadn’t, so Yami picked up a larger rock that would surely hurt if he threw it with the same amount of force as he did with the pebble. “Now turn around and use your five senses!” he ordered.

Asta did as his captain said and turned around, closing his eyes. _Concentrate, Asta. If you can’t use mana sensing, then you need to turn it off_ , he thought. Turning off his mana was no easy feat since he had to reign in his fears, which required extreme concentration. Thankfully, standing still helped, so he thought about all his fears--men, Yuno leaving him, losing Leo, losing his family--and turned off his mana. With that, he could sense something coming towards him...but it wasn’t the rock Captain Yami had picked up. Asta could hear the object slicing through the air; it smelled like grease; Asta could feel the air shifting near him as it parted for the sharp object. _Katana_ , thought Asta. It was the flat side since he could feel a little more air being pushed than if it were the edge being used on him. The air was parting near his right ear, so he ducked, opened his eyes, let go of his fears to turn his mana back on, and punched at the muscular figure that held the blade only to have his hand caught by Captain Yami’s beefy hand.

“Nice job, weirdo,” deadpanned Yami as he stood Asta upright. “You _are_ a fast-learner like Fanzell said,” he admitted, smiling back at Asta, who was beaming. “But you don’t have to turn off your mana to sense the natural energy...so we’ll say you’re a work-in-progress with ki.” He patted Asta’s hair, who giggled at the affection. “But I’ve got no doubt you’ll surpass that limit.”

Asta couldn’t help it--he attacked Captain Yami with a hug, and even though he could’ve predicted that Asta was going to do it, Asta was thankful he didn’t. “I’m gonna miss you, Captain Yami!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” responded Yami, rubbing Asta’s back gently. “Don’t get all sappy on me, kid. Like Momgoleon said, you’ll still be working for me while you work for Brogoleon.”

“Brog- oh, you mean Captain Fuegoleon!” said Asta, realizing who the nickname referred to. He released himself from the hug and gave Yami a thumbs-up along with his signature grin. “You got it, captain!”

With that, Yami escorted Asta to the Royal Capital to the Vermillion Estate. Yami was being defensive and claiming that he had to run an errand, which was the only reason he “followed” Asta (he stood by Asta’s side and gave a death glare to any male passerby that even dared to greet him). Asta knew it was only a front because once they got to the Vermillion Estate, it was Yami that captured him in one last hug. After that, Captain Yami waved goodbye as he headed back to base...Asta could’ve sworn he heard a sniffle.

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_Nighttime_

After Captain Yami had dropped Asta off at the Vermillion Estate, he was met by an overzealous Leo, who was standing next to a taller woman that looked like a younger version of Marisol--long, wavy vermillion-colored hair, red markings around her blue eyes, a single, sharp, pronounced canine tooth, a voluptuous body that curved in all the right places, and a kind, yet intimidating gaze. It was Mereleona Vermillion, the eldest of the Vermillion siblings, the Uncrowned, Undefeated Lioness, and the temporary Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings. Asta understood at that moment why Leo had been so overzealous--he had kept his end of the bargain and sooner or later, Asta would have to keep up his end. 

But before he could shoot Leo a pleading glare, he had been attacked by a high-speed punch from his new temporary-captain. It wasn’t a problem since Asta had met the punch with his own punch, generating a force that blew back Leo and his new squadmates that had come out to formally greet Asta. Asta had thought that he was going to have to fight his way into the Crimson Lion Kings, but it appeared as if this was just Mereleona’s way of greeting people, if the bruise on Leo and Randall’s cheek had said anything about it. 

After the exhibition, Mereleona and him immediately hit it off. While she had ordered Leo to finish Asta’s paperwork that finalized his transfer, she and Asta went to the training grounds to spar with the rest of his new squadmates following behind to watch another exhibition. Asta had enjoyed every second of it because she held nothing back. It had made Asta panic since he had never fought someone close-combat that could keep up with him, but the panic subsided as the sparring session continued, replaced with the thrill of battle that made Asta feel so alive. They had gone at it for a couple of hours since Asta was determined to master ki-sensing, and it seemed that Mereleona, too, was interested in seeing how Yami’s fighting style worked.

The sparring eventually ceased when Marisol had called the two to formally introduce themselves to the squad. After that, the two had eaten lunch and bonded even more since Leo had been ordered again to go train with his squadmates. Surprisingly, not all of Mereleona was aggressive like Asta had assumed. When she had felt that no one was around except them, she divulged that she knew about Asta’s situation thanks to Fuegoleon, which didn’t surprise Asta since every time he had one of those deep, introspective conversations with the captain, he would always find a way to allude to his sister and how highly he respected her. Like usual, though, Asta had to go through the motions of accepting Mereleona’s pity, which didn’t ruin his respect for her but just pissed him off. Before the two had parted for the night, Mereleona insisted that Asta refer to her as “Mero” in any private context, which delighted Asta because, like Fuego, she didn’t mind exposing her more-vulnerable side the first day she and Asta had met.

Now, Asta was in bed with Leo’s arms wrapped around his smaller frame and his face buried in Leo’s chest. This was the first time he and Leo cuddled. It felt nice to be trapped in his arms; the feeling was different compared to when Finral or Yuno cuddled with him, probably because Leo was his boyfriend.. “You know...now that I have you, I don’t plan on letting you go,” muttered Asta.

Leo, who was resting his chin on top of Asta’s soft, grey hair, answered, “Good...because I wasn’t planning on letting you let me go, love.” The pet name was still a novel thing to him, but he was getting used to it the more he said it. He had never planned on going this far with a man, but being this close to someone and doing something more than fucking was a nice change that Leo didn’t mind. He would never regret this decision.

Asta hummed at the pet name. He looked up at Leo, who gave him a gentle smile. But unlike those times that he would get lost in those turquoise-colored eyes, his gaze drifted to his lips. The same lips that he had kissed so casually for the past few months that they had been dating only to have those lips kiss him back that night outside of the infirmary where Leo had professed his undying love and vowed to marry him one day. He remembered how those lips had cradled his own, guiding his own inexperienced mouth as he melted in his arms. He remembered the taste--he had eaten some chocolate treat after having plain-baked tato that night. Marisol must have had a maid bring it to them to cheer Leo up.

He wanted another taste...and now that they were finally alone with no one watching, he wanted it badly. His heart started beating faster in his chest as reached up, gradually closing the distance between them. The last time he had kissed Leo was outside the infirmary, and he had guided him. The lack of experience made Asta hope that when he pressed his lips onto his, Leo would guide him again back to that sweet, sweet bliss that he had felt that night.

That was exactly what Leo did when their mouths connected. He moved one hand that was hugging Asta to cup his cheek. He felt Asta grab the shirt collar of his night attire to pull him closer, deepening the kiss. He could hear Asta breathing through his nose, which experience told him that he wanted to maintain the lip-lock as long as he possibly could. Leo mentally snorted, _Alright, baby, I’ll play along...let’s see how long you can last_. With that, Leo bit Asta’s bottom lip, eliciting a moan from the other. This allowed Leo to slip his tongue into Asta’s mouth and like the last time they kissed, Asta let him dominate him, barely putting up a fight, which was unlike him. It turned Leo on even more when he felt one of Asta’s hand drift from his shirt collar, seductively tracing over the outlines of the well-toned abdomen underneath his shirt. Leo let out a low growl, and he could feel Asta’s body shiver at the sound. 

The kiss only lasted a couple of seconds longer until Leo noticed that Asta hadn’t stopped shaking. Leo broke the lip-lock and whispered breathily, “A-Asta…” Something wasn’t right.

“L-Leo…” muttered Asta in a raspy voice. His want for Leo’s lips had been replaced with a desire to please him _everywhere_. When Leo broke the kiss, Asta didn’t stop--he started planting soft kisses on Leo’s chin, moving downward and continuing to his neck. He needed to please him, if the heat that was rising from his stomach to his chest said anything about it. He remembered the first time Leo had met him--how long and hard his dick felt as it grinded between his ass. How could he have been stupid to fall apart like that when he was so close to ecstasy? All he needed to do was say yes and then Leo would have given it to him. Asta forgot the reason why as his hand moved further down past Leo’s abdomen. He was about to use a finger to tug at the hem of his pajama until Leo, rather forcefully, grabbed his wrist, causing Asta to whimper in protest.

“Asta. Stop,” Leo said in a low, commanding tone. Something was not right. Asta was trembling as badly as he had back when he first visited the Vermillion Estate and sensed men coming. What was worse was that Asta didn’t even know his tremors had returned, too lost in the cloudiness of desire. _Until Asta’s ready, I’ll abstain_ , he recalled telling Finral back in Nean. Asta wasn’t ready. Not right now. This was not right.

_Does he not want me?_ thought Asta. He tried to look back up only to have Leo bury his face into his chest. “Leo..?” he asked worriedly.

“Shh, baby. You’re shaking,” Leo pointed out quietly as he tightened the hug he had on Asta and began to comb through his grey locks.

Asta gasped. Reality hit him again and with it, he noticed that what Leo was saying was true. He was trembling...but why was he trembling? The only male around was the one he loved. As he kept trying to find an answer, the recent memory of what he was about to do returned. He wiggled a little to loosen himself from Leo’s hold, but it was only to adjust his position so that he could rest his head in the crook of his neck, relaxing as Leo continued to comb his hair. “I’m sorry, Leo…”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, love,” Leo whispered back. He settled for a kiss on Asta’s head. “You’re not ready right now, Asta. So until you are, I can keep waiting.”

Asta gasped in shock again. What did he mean by that? Did he know about what happened to him? _No...I never told him_ , he thought. Yuno still harbored resent for Leo, and Finral...well, he didn’t know if Finral would tell Leo something like that. Unable to find an answer, he just settled for being grateful for Leo’s patience. “I love you, Leo.”

“Hmm? Where’d that come from?” Leo questioned.

“Obviously from my heart,” Asta scoffed. “Are you gonna say it back?”

“Do I really need to for you to know?” Leo teased.

“Yes, you handsome jerk. Now say it,” Asta ordered slapping Leo’s chest playfully.

He placed another kiss on top of Asta’s head. “I love you, Asta,” Leo hummed. He didn’t really see the need since he thought his actions could speak louder, but he didn’t mind saying it.

They laid there in a comfortable silence in each other’s arms for what felt like minutes. Then, Asta looked up at the mark on Leo’s forehead. He touched it with his finger, causing Leo’s eyebrows to raise in curiosity. “Do you really think we’ll get married someday?” He had been meaning to ask him personally, thinking Leo was just holding a front to outdo all the guys. It was a cruel way to think, but when one lived with Yuno for so long, Asta was more curious than doubtful.

Leo grabbed the hand Asta was using to poke at his mark and kissed the palm. “Not only that, love, but I know we’ll grow together, old and wrinkly, but still happily married.”

Asta laughed at the thought of holding hands with an old, wrinkly Leo, whose vermillion-colored hair was replaced with white. “Promise?” he asked, giggling.

“Promise,” Leo assured confidently. With that, the two fell asleep in Asta’s new home--in the arms of the man he loved. That night, more pieces of Asta’s heart began to fall back in place--where there was once nothing but a void, there was now a nearly assembled heart that had only one piece left to complete the puzzle. It was the first puzzle piece that was taken from him when Revchi violated his body--the same puzzle piece that Asta had kept tucked away in a secret place, still hesitant to put it back in place. Only time would tell when Asta would be prepared to do it again, but his faith and hope that Leo was the one who could give him that push in the right direction grew that night with Leo’s assertion.

_Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room_

_About a month later_

It was about a month now since Asta had become a Crimson Lion King. It was a little weird seeing Asta more often now that his headquarters was in the Royal Capital. This mainly had to do with the fact that where Asta was, Leo was bound to follow. One could attribute it to them being in the same three-man squad, but Yuno attributed it to them being a couple. 

Speaking about that, it was a little over a month now since Asta and Leo had become a couple. The transition for Yuno went better than he had expected. He guessed he could thank Finral for that. Yuno was more than grateful to have a friend like him--not minding to get all touchy-feely with Yuno, helping Yuno out of a depressive bout, consoling him on what he could do instead of sulking, and sleeping over with him every night. It was like having Asta with him all over again. As a matter of fact, Yuno dared to say that Finral knew Yuno better than Asta knew him. But there was and always would be one man in Yuno’s heart because even if he couldn’t have him now, he would wait patiently. Finral would even joke that he would wait by Yuno’s side until that time came, which made Yuno’s heart flutter for some odd reason. He always thought that it was the feeling someone felt when they had a real best friend--that best friend that would do anything and everything for you. Even if Finral was joking, Yuno didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that he could reciprocate that promise because that’s what best friends are for, right?

Sadly, this would be the first night that Yuno didn’t have Finral to cuddle with. He, the Black Bulls, and Asta were going on a week-long mission to a Grand Magic Zone, the Underwater Temple, where the Wizard King had suspected there was a magic stone. Thanks to Asta’s secret mission under the Wizard King’s orders, the Magic Knights had been able to uncover a connection between the magic stones and the large stone tablet that he and the Wizard King had discovered back in the Eye of the Midnight Suns’ “hideout”. The discovery was further supported by Marx’s memory magic that had been able to penetrate the minds of the members that were captured during the attack on the Royal Capital, which, again, was thanks to Asta’s help and his anti-magic sword. _Asta...it’s always Asta_ , thought Yuno. Asta was always doing better. Asta had better magic. Asta was always ahead of Yuno. Asta helped and was currently helping the Black Bulls climb the ranks. Asta was the one that loved someone else that wasn’t Yuno. It was always Asta…

_Don’t be like that, sleepy head_ , said the voice of Finral in Yuno’s head, _I’ll be back before you know it. But if you’re going to miss me that much, then take my shirt_. The memory was no less than a day old: Finral had taken his shirt off and tossed it to Yuno. Yuno had been lucky that the shirt was tossed into his face because the sight of Finral’s lean, well-toned body made Yuno blush. Finral had explained that Yuno could smell Finral’s scent so that it felt like the dirty-blonde never left. Yuno had considered it ridiculous...but here he was, smelling Finral’s shirt--lemon, fresh mint, and green apples mixed with a little sweat from that day’s work. “Fin...ral…” whispered Yuno under his breath, pressing the shirt further onto his nose. He was right as always--Yuno could feel Finral’s arms wrapping around him while he laid there in bed with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, snapping Yuno out of his daydream. He felt Captain William’s mana along with someone unfamiliar. But the masked captain had told him that they had had enough training for the day, having started at the crack of dawn and going on through the afternoon, only stopping whenever Mimosa or Klaus would scold him to take a break. According to the captain, Yuno had gotten stronger ever since he had been chosen by Sylph as her host. Speaking of Sylph, she wasn’t being her vociferous self this evening. She couldn’t have been tired because she was a living embodiment of mana, so was it because she was being extra petty again because Yuno hadn’t given her any more attention than he had needed today? Whatever it was, Yuno couldn’t dwell on it now because the knocking grew louder.

As Yuno opened the door, he was met with a man, slightly taller than, who had medium-length, messy red hair, blue eyes, and stubble for a beard. Before Yuno could even get a word out, the man got down on one knee and bowed his head.

“Good evening, Prince Grinberryall! I am honored to finally meet you,” said Fanzell in a monotone voice.

_Prince? Grinberryall? What?_ thought Yuno. Again, before Yuno could speak, Captain William interrupted him to ask if they could speak to him in his room where the redhead could explain himself behind closed doors. Yuno nodded and motioned for the two to enter. 

The two occupied the seats that were at his table, so Yuno took to sitting on the bed. When the redhead saw this, he immediately offered his seat, surprising him again with the formal title. It appeared that Fanzell wouldn’t speak if Yuno didn’t take it, so he obliged. But it only got weirder when Fanzell kneeled in front of him again, refusing to move from his position. The room fell into silence as Yuno waited for the man to speak, but it appeared the other was waiting for him. Yuno turned to his captain for some advice, who merely tilted his head towards Fanzell, which meant that Yuno had to _order_ him to speak. “Speak...uh...what’s your name?”

“As you wish, Prince Grinberryall. My name is Fanzell Kruger, I am a loyal servant to the House Grinberryall,” stated Fanzell monotonously again as if he had practiced this a hundred times.

“Why are you calling me ‘Prince Grinberryall?’” demanded Yuno. It didn’t make sense. “My name is Yuno.”

“Yes, Your Highness, you are correct. Your name is Yuno Grinberryall. However, I refer to you as ‘Prince Grinberryall’ for it is the formal title given to the rightful heir of the Spade Kingdom throne,” answered Fanzell.

Yuno’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. What did he mean that he was the heir to the Spade Kingdom? That didn’t make sense, Yuno was an orphan peasant from Hage Village in the Clover Kingdom. _Orphan_ , he thought. Then, it clicked. He remembered what that Magic Knight healer had told him, Sister Lily, and Father Orsi about King Edmund Grinberryall and his fraternal twin sons. One died, but one survived. But how could this man prove that what he was saying was true--that Yuno was a prince? A birth certificate. But not just any birth certificate--it should have the Spade Kingdom’s symbol, Yuno’s name and everything else but most importantly, the mother column should have Edmund’s name.

Fanzell had rehearsed this. He knew what Yuno was thinking right now. Clearing his throat to get Yuno’s attention, he said, “Forgive me, Your Highness, for interrupting your train of thought. I could only convince your captain to allow me this moment to confront you before I must make my leave posthaste.” He removed a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and offered it to Yuno. “I understand this must be a lot of information to process, but this is my proof that you are who you are.”

Yuno took the folded piece of paper into his fingers delicately, thinking that if he didn’t take care, it might have crumbled to dust. He slowly unfolded it with shaky hands. He saw the Spade Kingdom’s symbol, his name, but he skipped the other information, scanning for the “Mother” column. He gasped, eyes going wide once more. There it was, clear as day:

_Mother: Edmund Grinberryall_

_Occupancy: King_

So...Yuno was a prince? He was royalty? He was the long-lost son of the former king? What was more, he had an actual brother that died? “W-Why..? W-Why...now?” asked Yuno in a shaky breath.

“The explanation is long, Your Highness. But the best synopsis I could give you is that the Spade Kingdom needs their king. King Abaddon rules your kingdom with an iron fist, causing many innocent lives to be lost day-by-day. However, the present king’s health is deteriorating. Naturally, a new king or queen would be crowned, but King Abaddon has killed them all off, preventing anyone from ascending the throne. As a result, the kingdom will cease to exist if you do not seize your rightful position as king.” Fanzell looked up at Yuno with pleading eyes before he added, “It is the only way for Asta to love you for King Abaddon has placed an unrequited love curse upon your family.”

Yuno felt like his world turned upside down at the last part. _So...Asta could’ve loved me...but he couldn’t because of a stupid curse?_ thought Yuno, _You can’t be serious…_ All he had to do was say “yes”, and he’d be taken to Spade. But something didn’t feel right. _Yeah...if I take the throne...it wouldn’t make any sense to even try to win back Asta...because even if I could...his loyalty is to Clover...so in the end...I’d just be separated physically from him_ , thought Yuno. Being romantically and sexually separated from Asta was more than enough, so Yuno would never trade his chance to still physically be with Asta for an entire kingdom. _Because Asta is your whole world_ , said the voice of Finral in Yuno’s head (he had never noticed Finral cringe as he said those words). _But you have to help them, Yuno!_ yelled the voice of Asta in his head in opposition. 

Stay or go? Clover or Spade? A single man or an entire kingdom? Yuno couldn’t decide. Where was Finral when he needed him? He could clear his mind so that he could think logically. That was it--if Finral wasn’t here, then Yuno wouldn’t make a decision because he needed his number one best friend’s input on this. Having decided, Yuno schooled his features and declared, “Not right now, Fanzell. I will take your offer into consideration but until I have made a final decision, my allegiance is to Clover.” He really needed to have Finral with him right now. He glanced at the green shirt that was on the bed behind Fanzell. He could feel his heart pounding and his mind racing, two things that only Finral could mend. As creepy as it sounded, Yuno needed to smell Finral right now before he was going to lose it. So, he commanded, “You two may leave. Now.”

The two jumped back at Yuno’s sudden authoritative voice, but neither spent much time contemplating what had caused his attitude to change. Captain William gave him a curt nod, and Fanzell stood up and bowed to Yuno. With that, the two left the room quietly. 

As soon as the Yuno heard the door click, he lunged for the bed and took Finral’s shirt, pressing it against his nose as hard as he could. Soon, his mind and body began to relax as Finral’s scent overtook him. Yuno fell asleep a short time later. That night, his mind and body competed. As he laid alone in his bed sleeping, he didn’t notice his mouth say, “I love you, Fin- Asta.”

_A forest near the Royal Capital_

_The same night Fanzell told Yuno of his heritage_

“You can come out now, Lucifero. I’ve done what you told me to do,” said Fanzell as he spoke to nothing but the air. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see a pair of red eyes staring at him. The figure did not reveal itself under the moonlight, standing perfectly behind the trees’ shadows.

“ **Did he buy everything, Fanzell?** ” questioned the dark figure.

Fanzell schooled his features. This was no time for his confidence to waver. “He’s considering it, but I have no doubt that he’ll take it sooner or later. You’ll just have to wait. He even took the fake curse that you had told me to mention.” He shut his eyes and flinched when he started to feel the wind pick up around him. 

“ **That was not our deal, Fanzell** ,” reminded the dark figure.

“It’s all I could do before I could be tracked down by the Magic Knight patrol,” Fanzell said as honest as he could. “I can’t go back now, or they’ll have my head for being a former Diamond commander in the Royal Capital.” He opened his eyes and clenched his fists. “Now give me back my fiancée.” There was an eerie silence between him and the dark figure as it seemed to reflect on his words. Suddenly, a portal above him opened and out fell a woman with a familiar orange hair color. “Domina!” called Fanzell as he moved to catch his fiancée. Luckily, the portal hadn’t opened too far away from him as he was able to catch Domina in his arms. She was unconscious but breathing. “Domina…” whispered Fanzell as he pressed his forehead to hers. He looked up to see Lucifero preparing to step through his own portal.

“ **Our transaction is complete, human. But I cannot create a liability to our cause** ,” hissed Lucifero. With that, he raised his hand and willed the negative mana in him to manipulate time-space and Fanzell and Domina’s memories.

The last thing Fanzell saw was darkness before he was blinded by a lamplight. “Huh?” He looked around and found that he was in a bedroom. The room looked like it was falling apart...but it felt warm and welcoming. He felt Domina stir in his arms, so he stood to place her on the bed. He then opened the window because the air in the room felt stuffy and saw in the distance a giant demon skull. Where was he again? What happened? Suddenly, he heard a voice at the door. He turned around to see a short female with short, black hair and pink eyes. “Mariella?”

Mariella switched her gaze from her teacher to the woman lying in the bed. Though she didn’t show it, she was amazed to finally see her teacher’s fiancée after months of searching. He turned back to her redhead teacher and gave him a half-smile. “It took you long enough, Mr. Fanzell.” Fanzell smiled back. With that, the two tended to Domina. Fanzell wasn’t able to recall how he had found her but waved off Mariella’s concern, claiming that all that was important was that Domina was safe, alive, and reunited with him again.


	24. Chapter 24

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_A beach near the location of the Underwater Temple_

_Around the same time that Fanzell speaks with Yuno, nighttime_

“ **Water Magic: Sea Dragon’s Cradle** !” exclaimed Noelle. With that, she pointed her wand in front of her to form a giant sphere of water. _Concentrate, Noelle. Concentrate. Don’t mess up. Don’t mess u- A Silva unable to control her magic? Hmph, you deserve to be in that loser squad because that’s what you are, Noelle--a loser_ , rang the voice of her sister, Nebra, in her head. As a result, the sphere of water wavered and her magic collapsed under the poor concentration with the large amount of water falling back down onto the earth. “Damnit…” she said under her breath as she tried to catch her breath, having fallen onto her knees due to the onset of mana exhaustion. 

Noelle had been practicing the spell that her Captain Yami and squadmates (including Asta, who was still a Black Bull despite wearing that ugly Crimson Lion King robe) were relying on her to master in order to get past the Grand Magic Zone that guarded the Underwater Temple. Tonight would be her last night before they would have to embark underwater tomorrow night--during a full moon, when the Grand Magic Zone’s strength would be greatly weakened. She had tried everything she could to quicken her mastery of the spell, but her progress was negligible at best. _You’re a failure, Noelle. And I will not have the likes of you in my ranks as the Captain of the Silver Eagles_ , rang the voice of her brother, Nozel, in her head. _Do you want me to beat him up for you, sweetie?_ rang the voice of Vanessa in her head. _No, I have to prove to them that I’m worthy, Vanessa. I have to show them that I’m not the failure they say I am. I have to-_ , was all she could think before a hand patted her shoulder and something fluffy touched her cheek.

“Hey, Noelle, are you ok?” asked Asta quietly. He had been watching his best friend from afar, cheering her on quietly while waiting on standby in case she did anything rash like what had happened the first few days he and Noelle had been introduced to the Black Bulls. Noelle turned to him and gave him a weak smile while she pet Nala’s head. Her mouth said yes, but her eyes said no in answering his question. So, Asta sat down next to her with Nala coming around and sitting on his lap. He looked at the ocean: its vastness stretching farther than his eyes could see, the moon reflected on its waters, and the occasional crash of a wave onto nearby cliffs that would spray saltwater over the wet rocks. Without taking his eyes off the captivating view, he sighed, “What’s wrong, Noelle? Don’t lie to me because Nala can tell me if you’re lying.” He really could have his furry friend do it--all he’d have to do was infuse some of his mana with her, but this was more of an empty threat than anything.

“I’m not...strong enough, Asta. I can’t master my spell...I’m sorry...I’m so, so sorry...I’ve failed all of you...I’m a failure,” Noelle cried as she adjusted her position and pulled her hands to her knees, wanting to hide her “unsightly” crying form because she was a Silva, and Silvas don’t cry, right?

Asta hummed, having finally gotten to his best friend after many long months of prying. She would give him vague details about her past with her siblings, which he had Vanessa confirm or deny by persuading her boyfriend and Noelle’s brother, Nozel, into giving her information. Eventually, the pink-haired witch had told him that Noelle would have to understand on her own, having vaguely used her relationship with Nozel as an excuse. 

He pulled Noelle’s crying form into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. Nala followed suit and started licking Noelle’s hand soothingly. “Nonsense, Noelle. You’re spitting out pure nonsense. You haven’t failed us, and you never will,” he assured the silver-haired royal as he stroked her hair, causing her sobs to start to die down.

“But...I c-can’t master this spell...a-and if I d-don’t...then we’ll fail the mission,” Noelle replied between sobs and sniffles.

“That’s not going to happen because you’re going to master this spell, and we’re going to use it to finish this mission successfully,” Asta pronounced a little louder with a hint of determination in his tone.

“Y-You’re only s-saying that because you’re my best friend,” Noelle shot back, sobs beginning to die down.

“I’m only telling the truth,” Asta said plainly. “And if you don’t believe me,” he began, placing a hand on Nala’s back to infuse some mana into her, “you can ask Nala if I’m telling the truth.” Nala’s head perked up and started to scan Asta’s body for any sense of a lie. He and Leo had discovered another one of Nala’s powers during one of their missions to capture and interrogate a Diamond Kingdom spy that was attempting to create unrest within the kingdom to stage a coup. Nala would growl if the person was lying, or she would visibly return her master’s mana if she found the person innocent. Now, she looked at Noelle and gave her a reassuring smile, returning Asta’s mana to him.

Noelle smiled at the sight. _So he is telling the truth, huh?_ thought Noelle. “But still, Asta. I’m not as strong as you. I can’t master spells and new concepts as well as you do. You’re a prodigy, and I’m jus-”

There it was again. Why did no one ever believe in themselves? “You’re just Noelle,” he started as he cut off his best friend, “and I’m just Asta. We’re two different people with a different set of talents and skills that we have yet to discover. You may think I’m strong, but this is all just an illusion. There are plenty of people who are stronger than me.”

Noelle was surprised to hear that. Asta’s power had been gaining notoriety from all of the Magic Knight squads. Sometimes, whenever Noelle came to visit him at the Vermillion Estate, she would see two or three people from different squads walking around and asking for Asta. “Who could be possibly stronger than you, Asta?”

“A lot of people, Noelle. You, Big Bro Finral, Miss Vanessa, Leo, Captain Yami--so many people that I can’t count them all with my fingers,” he chuckled. Then, he looked up at a particular star that illuminated the night-sky just a little brighter than the rest and added, “But the strongest of them all has to be Yuno.”

“You can’t be serious, Stupidsta. I mean, sure, Yuno has a four-leaf clover grimoire, but you have a f _ive-leaf_ , which makes you ten-, twenty-, a hundred-times more powerful than him and all of us combined,” Noelle snorted. _Honestly, why is this grey-haired idiot saying?_ she wondered.

Asta hummed at the line “You can’t be serious”. _Such a Yuno thing to say_ , Asta thought. “You have no idea what you’re saying, Noelle. I don’t like to use my powers to convince you, but let me remind you that this is coming from someone with a five-leaf grimoire: Yuno is the strongest person I know,” he declared, glaring at Noelle.

Noelle was taken aback by those words and more-so by the intense gaze that Asta was giving her. He really meant what he said. So, Noelle decided to drop it and ask instead, “How do you think I could possibly master this spell? How can I prove to my brothers and sister that I’m not a failure? How can I prove that my pathetic magic has actual worth?”

“Easy,” Asta chuckled, “first, you have to realize that you have nothing to prove to them nor to us. All you have to do is prove to yourself that you’re more capable than what you claim yourself to be. Then, we use the spell that you _will_ master, go to the Underwater Temple, retrieve the magic stone, and come back to the Royal Capital so we can give your siblings a piece of our minds. And then, you’ll stop doubting yourself because if there’s anything that I’ve learned from all my missions, it’s that even the smallest, seemingly meaningless, things can turn the tide of battle in your favor, so I’d advise you to not belittle your ‘pathetic’ magic.” He gave Noelle his signature, toothy grin and a thumbs-up for good measure.

Noelle’s eyes widened at the sudden vote of confidence. Did Asta really believe in her that much? _Asta believes in everybody, so you’d do well to trust his words_ , rang the voice of Finral in her head. Yes, if Asta believed in her, then she could trust that everything he had just said would all come true. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms on her chest. She tilted her head up in an arrogant manner (in an attempt to hide her blush) and stated, “O-Of course we will because I’m royalty, so I can’t have my squad fail, peasant.”

Asta giggled at Noelle’s change in attitude. He wouldn’t normally like being referred to as a “peasant”, but from Noelle, he wouldn’t mind because she only used it playfully. “As you wish, my Lady,” Asta teased. With that, the two doubled over in a laughing fit. Once they recovered, Asta and Noelle set out to master her spell. It was difficult, but Asta’s sheer determination rubbed off on Noelle. Eventually, she would master her spell thanks to two things: she met a beautiful girl named Kahono, who gave her some advice and nonchalantly kissed her cheek, which caused her to blush a whole new level of red; and after that, Asta and the rest of her squadmates cheered her on. With the mastery of a new spell, the Black Bulls were finally prepared to continue the next phase of their mission--heading to the Underwater Temple.

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Underwater Temple_

Nala was sent back to Leo at the Vermillion Estate because Asta had the feeling that she would get hurt. After struggling for a couple of hours to get the giant lap cat to let go of her master, the Black Bulls and Asta set out the following night to embark on their voyage to the Underwater Temple. Thanks to Noelle’s new spell, the journey through the Grand Magic Zone was as smooth as it possibly could have gone...well that and the constant threats from Gauche and Yami were enough to get Noelle to surpass her limits. Once they made it there, the group was greeted by an unexpected site: beyond the Grand Magic Zone lied an underwater civilization that was isolated from the rest of the world above. The people were friendly and welcomed the travellers with open arms, offering them anything they requested. Naturally, Yami more or less ordered one of the people to direct them to the Underwater Temple because the Black Bulls were there to retrieve the magic stone. It was odd to say the least when the person that led them to the temple’s entrance had a sudden change in demeanor from friendly to almost menacing, wishing the group good luck as the doors to the temple shut between them.

That was when they were met by the High Priest of the Underwater Temple, who was an eccentric, old pervert that tried to initiate a “boob-squeezing” game that the group could play so that they could obtain the magic stone. All the girls pummeled him promptly, threatening to castrate the old geezer if he tried anything of the sort again. After that fiasco, the old man informed them that the crew would have to play and win an actual battle royale against the members of the Underwater Temple in order to obtain their prize. The team wholeheartedly agreed and with that, the old man casted his **Game Magic: Temple Shuffle** to send the game’s participants to varying locations of the temple. He sent himself and Captain Yami to a spectator room and explained to the Black Bulls’ captain that his team would have an unfair advantage if Yami participated. Yami inwardly laughed because he noticed that Asta had turned off his mana. Either willingly or out of sheer fear at the sight of men, Yami didn’t care because whoever faced Asta would be in for a rude awakening.

As the battles began to take place, no one noticed that Vetto and a group of the Eye of the Midnight Sun were en route for the Underwater Temple, having easily defeated all the Magic Knights that were stationed on the surface. The only person that was able to get out of the ambush unscathed was none other than Sekke Bronzazza, who had hid cowardly as he heard the screams of his fellow Magic Knights being murdered. Once Vetto and his group had left for the temple, Sekke high-tailed it to the Royal Capital to warn the Magic Knights.

Luck, Magna, and Gauche defeated their opponents quickly and headed to another section of the temple to face their next opponents. Charmy fell for her opponent’s sleeping magic, dreaming of food and her “Meal-Saving Prince” as the two sat on top of her rival for Yuno’s heart, Finral. Noelle was having trouble with her opponent, who she couldn’t help but feel drawn to do...unroyal things with after their mission. Vanessa was also having trouble with her opponent, but Yami knew more than anyone else that she was just toying with him. Finral ran away, looking for Asta, but more-so because he didn’t think that he could defeat any opponent since he had no attack spells. Grey turned into a crab and slipped through her opponent’s vision. Gordon was...nowhere to be seen. But the most surprising turn of events was that Asta was having difficulty with his opponent. His stubborn, competitive nature had gotten the better of him as he opted to fight using his sword magic over his light magic or both.

It was when Luck and Magna had met up to take on a new opponent that was more powerful than their previous ones that Vetto and his group appeared out of nowhere, nearly killing Luck and Magna’s opponent. Yami, having recognized his features, ordered the old man to send him into the temple because his subordinates were going to be in grave danger. The old man regretfully explained that his game magic’s rules would not allow anyone to enter or exit the field until the game was finished. What was worse was that a member of the Eye of the Midnight Sun had used their **Spatial Magic: Different Dimension Sphere** to trap the captain and the old man in an inescapable pocket dimension. So, Yami was forced to wait and watch as the battles unfolded, hoping and praying that his subordinates could make it out alive.

Luck and Magna attempted to take on Vetto after the beast magic user fatally wounded what was supposed to be the two’s next opponent, who had revealed himself to be the son of the High Priest. Sadly, their attempt was in vain as Vetto effortlessly overcame the two even with their compound magic. He would have been able to annihilate them had it not been for Asta catching the mana-infused arm that was going to slice his squadmates in half. It would be the first time that Asta technically met the beast mage since he was unconscious when he had first introduced himself to Yami. It would also be the first time in months that Asta’s confidence was shaken to its core as the adrenaline that had allowed him to catch the man’s arm subsided, and his fear of men returned for no reason other than the fact that the man looked intimidating. Still, Asta did not relent, seeing his teammates’ battered forms. He sensed two familiar manas and kis headed in his direction so despite not having his magic due to the insurmountable fear that was coursing through his body, he attempted to distract the beast magic. This gave enough time for Noelle and Kahono to come to his aid. Kiato, Asta’s opponent, would appear soon after, having not been able to catch up with Asta’s lightspeed.

But the battle wouldn’t turn in their favor despite having the numbers advantage. Vetto quickly took care of Kahono and Kiato by severing the female’s vocal chords, thereby hindering her song magic, and amputating Kiato’s left leg, thereby hindering his dance magic. In all other circumstances, Asta would have gone berserk, but this was not one of those times. Still, he tried to fight. He tried to fight Vetto...but he was swiftly overwhelmed because he could not fight his fears. He was thrown to the floor, saved for “dessert” as Vetto claimed (he only meant to kill the boy at the end so that he felt true despair and nothing else, but Asta crumbled at the mention of being referred to as “dessert”). 

The beast mage decided to take care of Noelle, but her new resolve would not waver, especially when she saw her brother-figure fallen. This was enough emotional distress for her grimoire to flip to a blank page and write a new spell--an attack spell for once. She did not hesitate to cast her new **Water Magic: Sea Dragon’s Roar** and launch it at the beast mage. The beast mage attempted to take the full force of the giant water dragon head-on, but Noelle’s magic was more powerful, overpowering him and causing him to lose an arm in the process. This was enough to make Vetto to seethe with rage, causing him to awaken a more sinister form of the boundless mana that had blessed him, sprouting a third eye in the middle of his forehead at the time.

Using his new strength, Vetto regenerated his severed arm and used the more sinister form of his beast magic to launch a purplish, demonic blast at Noelle. Noelle couldn’t defend herself because she had used all of her mana in her last spell, so she prepared herself for her death...but it didn’t come. Once the demonic beast mana had dissipated, Asta revealed himself in front of Noelle, having sliced the blast in half, which saved himself and Noelle from death. Asta did not know what had caused him to suddenly lose his fears, but he didn’t question it. He gazed upon the Vetto, suppressing his merciful side with the intent to kill. He charged at the demon beast, and the two battled it out--demon light and sword magic against demon beast magic…

But like the battle with the Diamond crystal mage in the dungeon months ago, experience would prevail once more. Vetto gave Asta a clear opening, which the grey-haired Magic Knight took foolishly, allowing Vetto to crush Asta’s arms all while placing an ancient curse on it. The curse’s side effect caused Asta to see a momentary glimpse of utter despair--Yuno leaving him, Leo breaking up with him, his Magic Knight colleagues turning their back on him, and his families shunning him. It took everything in Asta to fight it, and he was going to lose had it not been for Vanessa’s quick action that pulled him away and through Finral’s portal to safety. As Asta laid there bloody and shaking with fear and despair, Finral cried for his little brother. He cried and begged the heavens to give him the strength to fight because his little brother did not deserve anymore pain.

Luckily, this was enough for that instance. Asta forced himself back up. The image of Yuno turning his back on him and leaving him again fueled his determination. It was enough to empower his teammates and his big brother to fight but this time, win. With that, the three devised a plan of attack that would surely give them the victory: Vanessa would use her thread magic to control his broken arms and body while Finral would combo with Asta like they had always practiced when they had trained. As the final fight began, Asta flared up his mana...but this time, everyone, including Asta, felt that his own magic had taken on a more sinister form as well. Asta, Finral, and Vanessa’s attentions were snapped back to reality when Gauche, a blue-haired, extremely timid Grey, and Charmy revealed themselves to offer one last supplement of power in the final fight.

With that, the Black Bulls set their plan in motion. Vetto was forced to remove his focus on Asta, who was now travelling at an inhuman speed thanks to Vanessa and Finral’s combo, as he dodged Gauche, Grey, and Charmy’s attacks. This gave Asta the opening he needed. He jolted his body slightly to give Vanessa the signal using her thread magic. With that, Asta was launched straight at Vetto, who had lost sight of him, allowing Asta to pummel Vetto to the ground, declaring himself and his squadmates the winners of the fight. 

Asta was pulled back to safety once more...only to lose consciousness due to the temporary adrenaline rush wearing off. Finral held him in his arms, crying softly and thanking the heavens for answering his prayers. All seemed well until Vetto stood up again but this time, he had activated the eye in the middle of his forehead to turn himself into a bomb that would self-destruct and consume Asta and his squadmates in the explosion. 

That was when Captain Yami decided to make his appearance. To his subordinates’ surprise, he thanked and congratulated them for having surpassed their limits without him, patting each of their heads (making sure to be careful with Asta’s unconscious form while reproaching Finral for being a crybaby when his little brother needed him to be strong). After that, he stepped in between his subordinates and the self-destructing Vetto to use his newly-acquired **Dark Magic: Dark-Cloaked Dimension Slash** to slice Vetto cleanly in half. The fight was over with Yami jokingly declaring that he had stolen his subordinates’ glory. He had the old man send his subordinates to the Underwater Temple’s infirmary to recover while he went to retrieve their prize and complete their mission objective.

_Golden Dawn Base - Yuno’s Room_

_As Finral steps through the portal, nighttime_

Finral was stressed out. Ever since he had recovered from his mana exhaustion from the battle against Vetto, he had not let go of Asta, who had still been unconscious when Finral had woken up. He didn’t know what had overcome him, but his brotherly instincts had told him to grab onto his grey-haired little brother and never let go. He hadn’t slept and when he ate, he would always keep one arm around Asta as he fed himself. His instinct to protect had only gotten worse whenever someone tried to approach him--be it Captain Yami, Noelle, Vanessa, the old man, Kahono, anyone--Finral would growl at them and tell them to fuck off. No one had dared to mess with him, so when time had come to leave the Underwater Temple, he had carried the unconscious form of Asta in his arms. As soon as he had stepped through, Leo had tried to grab Asta out of his hands, and all hell broke loose. They were about to fight over who got to carry Asta back home until they had heard Asta stir, which had prompted Finral to bulldoze Leo and claim Asta.

Once they had made it back to the Royal Capital, Finral had rushed Asta to the infirmary and called for Dr. Owen and Lady Marisol, using, for once in his life, the Vaude household’s name to get what he wanted. It had been when he had finally been able to fall asleep later that evening with Asta in his arms that Captain Yami, the Black Bulls, Marisol, Mereleona, and Leo had done everything they could to pry him off of Asta. It had been more for Finral’s sake than Asta’s because the dirty-blonde had neglected basic hygiene to care for Asta. But it had taken an impressive amount of force and restraint on everyone else’s parts to not just knock Finral out because Finral had made a scene...oh, he had _definitely_ made a scene: he teleported Yami, Marisol, and Mereleona away while he kicked and punched everyone else. It was when Leo had caught him in a headlock that a reluctant and sleepy Nozel and Vanessa restrained his grimoire before he could access his offensive spatial magic, knowing its destructive power all too well thanks to Langris.

Eventually, Finral had to be knocked out--more as payback than to restrain him. He had awoken in his and Asta’s room after an hour. He had forced himself to take a shower and make himself presentable at least because like hell he was going to sleep alone that night. He needed Yuno (as much as Yuno needed him).

To say that Yuno was elated to see Finral step through his portal was an understatement. He had been pacing in his room, ignoring Sylph, Mimosa, and Klaus’s concerns. He had been expecting Finral the day before, so he had become exceedingly anxious when Finral hadn’t arrived the day he was supposed to. He tackled his dirty-blonde best friend and took to smelling that scent he adored way too much, pressing his nose into his neck as much as he could. When Finral picked him up, he wasted no time in assuming the position he had grown accustomed to: his arms wrapped around Finral’s neck and his legs around his waist. Yuno felt his heart flutter in his chest for some reason as Finral rubbed his back. He had missed him way too much. “I...missed you...so much, Finral...you got me...so worried...when you didn’t...come home...yesterday,” Yuno stated with as much urgency as he could muster while he inhaled as much of Finral as he could.

_Too close...too fucking close_ , thought Finral, telling the tent in his pants to stand down. He had never had this happen with Yuno, but he supposed that being away from the man he loved for a little over a week would cause him to lose some of his self-control. “S-Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to w-worry you, s-sleepy head.”

Yuno hummed at being called that pet name by his best friend. It made his heart throb in his chest a little more than usual. He didn’t know why, so he attributed it to being separated from his number one best friend for so long. Taking a last good whiff of Finral, Yuno asked, “What happened anyways?” He knew he wanted to discuss important matters with Finral, but he didn’t want to be rude.

There went Finral’s moment of peace. He winced when he remembered what had caused him to overstay at the Underwater Temple. Should he tell Yuno? _What am I thinking? Of course I should! The man loves Asta, so he deserves to know what happened_ , he thought, ignoring the tightness in his chest. “It was Asta,” he sighed. He felt Yuno freeze under him. “He got hurt badly again, and I’ve been taking care of him ever since.”

“Oh...ok…” was all Yuno replied. Should he feel bad? He should, right? But why didn’t he? Why was the pounding in his chest caused more from the fact that Finral had preferred to stay with Asta over him? _Asta...it’s always Asta...why is it always Asta? Why can’t it be me? Why does it always have to be you?_ thought Yuno. He was snapped from his thoughts when he heard Finral’s voice.

“Are you alright, sleepy head?” Finral asked softly. He was baffled by Yuno’s reaction or lack thereof. Normally, the raven-haired Magic Knight would ask immediately how he was and when he could visit, shaking Finral by the shoulders until he went dizzy, so something must have been bothering his beloved if he didn’t produce the expected reaction. “Is there something bothering you?” No answer. “Come on, sleepy head, you can tell me. I’m your number one best friend, right? Aren’t best friends supposed to have each other’s backs? How can I do that if you won’t tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s fine,” Yuno said flatly. He didn’t want to trouble Finral with his problems if he was preoccupied with Asta.

_So you’re going to play hard to get, huh?_ thought Finral as a mischievous smile made its way onto his face. “Alright, sleepy head. Don’t tell me...I’ll just have to make you.”

“What do yo-” was all Yuno could say before he felt Finral’s fingers tickle his feet, causing him to cry out, laughing. _Damn him, using his spatial magic like that_ , thought Yuno, as he struggled to stay in his position attached to Finral. “S-Stop,” he weakly ordered, feeling the tickling only intensify. He fell onto the bed, pulling Finral with him.

“Tell me what’s wrong, sleepy head, and I’ll end your misery,” Finral chuckled. He was enjoying this way too much. He was as ticklish as Asta.

“O-Ok...ok...I give,” conceded Yuno. With that, Finral stopped and laid on top of him, the second position Yuno liked. He took a moment to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. _Just say everything Yuno, don’t waste your time_ , he told himself. “Alright, Finral. I want you to listen to me and comment once when I’m done.” He paused and felt Finral nod over his shoulder. Why was his heart pounding at having Finral so close? _I’m probably just nervous...yeah, who wouldn’t be with what I’m about to say_ , thought Yuno, _also, if I’m going to tell him, I should probably avoid disclosing Fanzell’s name since he might get hunted down._ “While you were gone, a man from the Spade Kingdom arrived at the base. I promised I wouldn’t disclose his name because I don’t want to cause him any harm, but I’ll let you know that I trust him. Anyways, he came to tell me of my lineage...I’m a prince, Finral. The prince of the Spade Kingdom, and its rightful heir.” He felt Finral stiffen. “My full name is Yuno Grinberryall and my mother, Edmund, was a great, honorable man that was the subject of a wicked coup that resulted in his death and his brother, Abaddon, subjugating the throne. The reason I’m telling you this is because I need your advice. My people in the Spade Kingdom are being ruled by that tyrant, whom I guess you could call my uncle, but he’s dying. The people need a king, but they don’t know that the rightful heir is alive and healthy because Abaddon had set out to kill anyone that could ascend when he died. If I don’t take the throne, the Spade Kingdom will fall into chaos. But I’m hesitant because I don’t want to be separated from Asta more than I already have been. I know this is a lot to process, but I need your input. Without Asta around, I only trust you to give me some guidance. What should I do?”

Yuno was right--this was a lot to process. _So...I’m in-love with a prince?_ wondered Finral, _Well, I guess my taste- No! Shut up, Finral. Yuno needs your advice right now. He trusts you almost as much as he trusts Asta. Don’t make him doubt you now!_ For some reason, Finral thought the choices to be simple. The more gallant, Asta-like side of him was screaming at him to become king, but the selfish, extremely possessive side of him was squashing the other side, making it the victor. Having decided, he lifted his head and placed his forehead on Yuno’s, who closed his eyes at the touch, waiting for his answer. “I think you should stay, Yuno,” he began in a gentle whisper, “Not just because I’d miss you but because Asta and everyone else would miss you, too. Also, didn’t you say that you had promised Asta that you would never leave him again?” He opened his eyes and inwardly gave himself a pat on the back, he had made Yuno blush and he wasn’t squirming to hide it. Progress.

Finral was right--Yuno had completely forgotten about his promise with Asta. But for some reason, his heart beated a little faster when he heard Finral say he would miss him. He didn’t bother dwelling on it, though. He decided. He would stay so he could be with Asta. To hell with royalty--he didn’t even like royals anyway, except for Mimosa. He hugged Finral and said, “I’ll stay. Thank you so much for your help, Finral. I knew I could count on you.”

“I’ll always be here for you, sleepy head,” Finral replied. He adjusted his position so that he was lying next to Yuno, who turned to snuggle up to him. He could feel the tension in his body begin to fade. It always did when he was with Yuno. He pulled the covers over themselves. He sighed a breath of relief as he felt Yuno snuggle up closer. “Goodnight, sleepy head.”

“Night, Finral,” mumbled Yuno. With that, he fell asleep and after a week of nightmares, Yuno was met with sweet dreams with the man with the unknown face--Asta.

Finral felt Yuno’s breath begin to even out, but he checked to see if he was actually asleep. Having Asta around last year as a roommate definitely made him skeptical. He shook Yuno, who mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. _Good, he’s asleep_ , thought Finral, _now’s my chance_. He placed a gentle, meaningful kiss on Yuno’s head, whom he heard hum at the touch, making Finral’s heart flutter. “I love you, Yuno,” he whispered under his breath.

“I love you, too,” mumbled Yuno, having dreamt the mystery man saying that phrase to him. At least in his dreams, Asta would say something like that.

Finral heard it loud and clear. Yuno had said he loved him. His heart couldn’t take it. He wanted to wake him up and ask him if he meant it, but before he could, sleep had taken over him.


	25. Chapter 25

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_A few days later, nighttime_

It had been a tough few days for Leo, his family, the Crimson Lion Kings, and the Black Bulls. When Finral had left, Leo had finally been able to take care of his boyfriend along with Marisol and Mereleona, who were still a little disturbed at being bested by Finral in both strength and wit. Leo had to give it to Finral--he didn’t know someone as scrawny as him could possess so much strength. Anyhow, Marisol and Dr. Owen had declared Asta fit to be discharged. Though he was still unconscious, most of Asta’s wounds had healed that he could recover back at the Vermillion Estate.

It was difficult, though, having to comfort Asta when he had woken up because the first thing he had asked about were his arms. Leo, Marisol, and Mereleona took turns as they slowly broke the news to Asta that no one in the Royal Capital had any knowledge of the ancient curse that afflicted the grey-haired Magic Knight. Asta didn’t cry. Though, everyone had preferred that he would have because the silence that took over the Vermillion Estate was a strange oddity with everyone having grown accustomed to Leo and Asta’s loud mouths. Leo, the Black Bulls, and the Crimson Lion Kings had done everything they could to cheer him up while also secretly searching for a solution to Asta’s affliction.

But none of these things could compare to the nightly tremors that befell Asta. At first, Leo thought it was Vetto who had caused this since according to the Black Bulls, they had sensed Asta’s mana turn off the instant the fight with the beast mage was won, making everyone assume that Asta’s fear of men had come back to bite him. So, Leo had tried to leave Asta the first night he regained his consciousness only to have his tremors get worse, making Leo stay, partially thankful that he wasn’t the cause since it would allow him to stay with the man he loved. Unfortunately, no one had been able to come up with a solution, so Leo was left trying to soothe Asta as best he could until he fell asleep...but the tremors never went away.

It was on one particular night that Leo had discovered the solution. Leo had brought Asta dinner--plain-baked tato, rice, steak, and chocolate cake for dessert--when he noticed that Asta’s tremors had reached the point where he appeared to be convulsing. Leo dropped the food on the nightstand and enveloped Asta’s quivering form with his legs. He pulled him close to his body and hugged him as tight as he could that it was still comforting. But his tremors wouldn’t stop. In fact, they were strong enough to cause Leo’s body to vibrate as he held Asta in his arms. It was like a nightmare that Leo wanted to end, so he did the only thing he could. He hummed the tune that his mother had used on him as a child whenever he had nightmares. He was a bit off-key, but it seemed to do the job because he could feel Asta’s body begin to relax. He then heard Asta humming with him. _Thank the Lord_ , thought Leo as he placed a kiss on top of Asta’s head.

“L-Leo…” Asta hummed, cutting the tune off.

“Shh, love. It’s ok...you don’t have to speak right now,” Leo reassured him quietly. He then felt Asta’s stomach grumble. “But you do have to eat,” he chuckled warmly.

“Ok,” Asta laughed weakly. He turned his head to give Leo a chaste kiss on the lips...and then a second...and then a third. There would have been fourth had it not been for Asta’s stomach grumbling again, interrupting the beginnings of their makeout session. With that, Leo fed Asta for obvious reasons, both men stealing a couple of kisses when the other least expected it. After dinner, Leo helped Asta brush his teeth and redress some of his minor wounds. The two cuddled as best they could and fell soundly asleep.

_Witches’ Forest_

_About a week later_

After Leo had discovered the position and tune, Asta’s tremors had gradually receded. Soon enough, he would return to training himself and the Crimson Lion Kings in any way he could and with it, he would discover a secret plan devised by the Crimson Lion Kings and the Black Bulls. He was filled with gratitude not only for Leo, but also for the two squads. It had been one day when Asta had come to visit Ms. Charmy for some chocolate muffins and tea when he had overheard Noelle and Finral arguing over what the two should be doing in the two squads’ search for the cure to Asta’s curse. Finral had said that they should pay a visit to his mother’s family home on the northern side of the Royal Capital because one his aunts researched ancient curses. On the other (less-convincing) hand, Noelle had said that they should pay a visit to Fanzell Kruger, Asta’s swordsmanship teacher, near Hage Village because she was royalty. Somehow, Finral decided to go with Noelle.

After about another two days, Finral and Noelle would return to pick up Asta without giving him any information whatsoever--they just told him to come and do as they said. Asta didn’t put up a fight because he knew what they were trying to do--that and he saw the dark circles under their eyes from what he guessed was lack of sleep. After that, the group set out to meet up with Fanzell, his wife, Domina, and Mariella to head to the Witches’ Forest, Domina and Vanessa’s former home. 

As they made their way through the autonomous zone, the men and women were forced to hide under two invisibility cloaks because they didn’t actually have permission to enter, so they would’ve been killed on the spot for trespassing. Fanzell, being the kinky pervert that he was, found it necessary to strip his clothes when they were so close to getting into the Queen of Witches’ lair undetected, setting off all the alarms in the process. Luckily, the group was still close enough that they could high-tail it to the lair before they could be disintegrated by the forest’s defenses.

It was there that they discovered that Vanessa had also gone to the Queen of Witches to trade her freedom for Asta’s arms, knowing that her mother was well-versed in ancient curses that she could remove the curse without much difficulty. Asta was disgusted--not by Vanessa’s tenacity but by her mother’s cold apathy. So, Asta being Asta, once again, used his five-leaf grimoire and dual-magic affinity as a bargaining chip that he knew no one, not even the most ancient of all beings, could refuse.

The Queen of Witches accepted the offer, cleverly hiding her ill-intentions for the grey-haired boy. With a deal placed, she casted her **Blood Magic: Curse-Breaking Blood Cocoon** to remove the curse placed on Asta’s arms while also healing his entire body. He didn’t know that the queen had also placed her own curse on him. All of a sudden, the Witches’ Forest was under attack on two fronts: one by the Diamond Kingdom with their two Shining Generals, Mars and Ladros, who had come to demand that the Queen of Witches provide some of her healing blood magic to aid a sickened Diamond King; the second by members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, led by Fana the Hateful, who were planning to take back the magic stone that dangled on the Queen of Witches’ ear. The queen could only do so much to protect her people, so she enlisted the help of the group of trespassers, claiming that they would pay their reparations for trespassing by protecting the Witches’ Forest at all costs.

With that, the group set out to protect the autonomous zone. Fanzell, the tactician of the group, demanded that everyone head out to defend the side that was being approached by the Eye of the Midnight Sun while he, Domina, and Mariella would go to the side that was being approached by the Diamond soldiers. Fanzell, Domina, and Mariella tried diplomacy with their former kingdom, but no one listened, claiming that they were traitors and should be killed. It was when Fanzell said that he would fight to the bitter end to protect those that he loved that Mars unexpectedly switched sides, defending his teacher, Domina, and Mariella from Ladros’s **Million Lasers** attack. Fanzell made a tactical retreat to bring Ladros, who was chasing after them, to Asta.

On the other side of the battlefield, Asta and his Black Bulls squadmates were struggling against the fiery attacks of Fana the Hateful and the Fire Spirit Salamander. They had been able to quickly take out the other members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, using the combination of Asta’s light magic reinforcement and sword magic along with Finral’s spatial magic and Vanessa’s thread magic. But it seemed that Fana and Salamander were overpowering Asta, Finral, and Vanessa. Somehow, **Fire Magic: Salamander’s Breath** could burn through all of Asta’s light magic. Asta tried to use his combo with Vanessa and Finral, using his **Sword Magic: Durga’s Wrath-Stage One** and **Sword Magic: Origin Slash** and **Sword Magic: Lacerating Net** , but nothing worked. Salamander burned through everything, including Vanessa’s thread magic. It was when Noelle appeared that they could initiate some form of a counterattack since her water magic had the greatest affinity to fire.

Yet again, it was to no avail because even after Asta was able to destroy Salamander using his Demon-Slayer Sword, Fana awoke a third eye in the middle of her forehead, similar to Vetto’s, reincarnating a more-powerful, sinister version of Salamander. That was when Fanzell, Domina, Mariella, and Mars arrived at the scene. Wasting no time, Fanzell ordered Asta to redirect the **Fire Magic: Salamander’s Breath** towards Ladros. Asta listened and did as he was told, sending the blonde-haired mana-absorbing mage flying back. When the group touched down, Mars was reduced to tears as he beheld his childhood friend, who appeared to have been caught in some hypnotic spell. 

Mars let go of all of his logic and training in an attempt to wake up Fana from the spell, but the flames were too much, burning off almost all of Mars’ clothes while removing the oxygen around him as he got closer to Fana. That was when Asta stood by his side, grabbing his back and pushing him forward. He didn’t know what Asta was planning as the grey-haired boy gave him an encouraging smile, but Mars trusted him, giving him a quick nod to permit him to do whatever he planned. He didn’t expect Asta to flare up his own mana, grab him by his cape, and throw him straight at Fana. Mars crashed into Fana and crushed her into a hug. He yelled whatever came to his mind, ignoring the smell of burning flesh that was most likely coming from him. After about a minute, he felt the flames die down and felt delicate arms wrap around his waist. His illogical yelling had worked, and he was now holding his childhood friend in her arms.

Everything seemed well until Ladros attacked with his **Million Lasers** , having absorbed, released, and reabsorbed the mana that was used in Salamander’s attack to augment his body once more. Everyone cornered him, but he was one step ahead, taking a hold of Fana while knocking out Mars in the process. He had gotten the reaction he wanted: Fana released almost all her mana at the sight of seeing her childhood sweetheart wounded. Again, Ladros absorbed, released, and reabsorbed all the mana that Fana unwillingly gave him, augmenting his body into something unbelievably powerful. He attacked Asta first, wanting to repay him for the earlier attack. After that, he knocked out everyone else. However, that was when the Queen of Witches, standing and observing from her lair, set her plan into motion, activating the curse she had inflicted on Asta, causing Asta’s demon powers to wake up. Asta didn’t know what happened to him, but he embraced the sharp, agonizing pain and chose to direct it at Ladros to take him one-on-one.

_Witches’ Forest_

_Asta’s Mind_

_As Asta and Ladros battle_

Asta opened his eyes to see nothingness. It was the same monochromatic void that he had seen back when he begged Sekke to stop saying the things he was saying when they had dueled in the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam. But unlike last time, Asta found himself perched on a pitch-black palm. He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by two, gigantic pitch-black claws that cupped his smaller form delicately. Something told him to look up instead of around. With that, he gazed at two, round eyes that had red sclera and cat-like pupils. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he saw the figure grin at him, revealing razor-sharp pitch-black teeth. Before Asta could say anything, the figure beat him to it.

In a low, demonic voice, the demon said, **_Mikit ta na rin, Asta_ **. He didn’t know who had woken him up from his deep slumber, but he was thankful they had because he didn’t want his host’s body to be destroyed.

_Huh?_ replied Asta. He rubbed his ears to see if he was hearing the figure speak correctly. It wasn’t Common Tongue, so it must’ve been the dark figure’s home language.

**_Ali ku bal-_ ** was all the demon could say before Asta cut him off.

_I can’t understand you, mister. You’re gonna have to speak in Common Tongue if you want to threaten me or something. Threats really don’t work if I can’t understand them_ , Asta deadpanned. 

**_Such insolence! How dare you debase my mother tongue!_ ** exclaimed the demon in the humans Common Tongue. For some reason, the demon was more embarrassed than he was angry with his grey-haired host’s nonchalant comment. He puffed his pitch-black cheeks in a pout and averted his gaze. **_Stupid fucking humans...I’ll have you know that I practiced my opening for millennia, so I won’t have some puny fucking shrimp take my spotlight_ **, the demon grumbled.

Asta giggled, all fear and worry leaving his body. He found the sight of the dark figure acting so much like him amusing. _You’re funny! I like you already! What’s your name?_

The demon was taken aback by Asta’s reaction. Who did he think he was, mocking him? He cleared his throat and said, **_I am Amon, the Prince of the Underworld, son of Abb_ **-”

_Hi, Amon! I’m Asta!_ exclaimed the grey-haired boy, cutting off the demon once again as he smiled and waved at him. Asta knew what he was going to say. After he had found out that Yuno was the long-lost royal heir to the Spade Kingdom, he had felt something in him react. It hadn’t been something he recognized as himself, so now, as he faced the demon, he guessed that it was him who had reacted to the news that a Grinberryall had survived. That was what was actually causing his tremors--Amon’s reaction. He didn’t know what they were planning, but something told him that if it involved Yuno leaving him again, nothing good could come out of it.

Ok, now Amon was angry. He curled his hands around Asta’s smaller form in an attempt to squeeze the life out of him. He knew Asta wouldn’t actually die, but he just wanted to make the human pay for disrespecting him _twice_. But before he could strengthen his grip any further, faint-grey lightswords appeared out of the void, impaling Amon by the feet, knees, and shoulders. He was forced to let go of Asta, allowing him to float in the void, and a pair of the same lightswords impaled his palms. Amon merely writhed, trying to break free, because he couldn’t actually feel the pain since...well, he was pain incarnate, among other things.

Asta hovered over Amon’s writhing body and crossed his arms on his chest. Whatever had just happened, he was thankful for it because he felt like he was going to die in Amon’s hands. _Ok, Amon_ , he started, staring at the prince’s intense, red eyes with the same intensity, _I don’t know what the hell just happened, but I want to ask you some questions. If you choose to answer, I have a feeling these lightswords_ _will go away as long as you don’t hurt me._ He paused and saw the dark figure nod. With that, the lightswords faded away into the nothingness that was Asta’s mind. He found the sight of the giant dark figure adjusting his position so that he could sit criss-crossed and stare directly at Asta a little amusing in an intimidating sort of way. _Where are we?_ was his first question.

**_Your mind_ **, Amon replied tersely.

Ok, the location was established. _What’s happening to my body right now?_

**_I’m possessing you with my anti-magic. You’re battling that Ladros fellow as we speak. Do you want me to stop?_ ** asked Amon. He choked when he realized what he had just said. Why did he say that?

So, Amon was an anti-magic demon prince that possessed Asta’s body. Totally makes sense. _No, I don’t think I will. I think I’ll let you have my body for a little bit because I trust that my friends can stop me. Right now, I want to talk to you...How, when, and why did you possess me?_ he asked calmly.

Why was this human so calm? Why didn’t this human tremble before his presence? Were the stories from the Underworld not true? Were humans brave souls? Amon dismissed the thoughts to answer Asta’s questions. _Demons can only possess human souls when their target human host experiences a great amount of despair, the emotion on which demons feed._ _I possessed you when you were raped by Revchi Salik. That day, you experienced the greatest despair any human at the time could experience--the loss of innocence. As for why, it is all according to plan._

There was the answer Asta needed as the pieces of the puzzle began to click. But for some reason, he no longer feared Revchi's name. He accepted it as a part of him--a dark part of his life that if ignored and left unacknowledged, the story of his life would be incomplete. He felt a huge weight come off his shoulders at the revelation; he felt lighter and could think more clearly now, which was exactly what he needed at the moment. _What plan? And how does it involve_ my _Yuno?_ he asked with a little venom in his voice.

Amon realized then and there why the grey-haired boy was so calm. He wanted to protect his foster-brother, the Grinberryall. But the question was: Should he tell the boy of their plans? It wouldn’t hurt to since he would take the boy’s soul eventually. _We demons are planning to take over your world to put it simply. We need your foster-brother so that he could be possessed by my father, Abaddon, since his current host’s body is deteriorating._

World domination? That was no surprise to Asta. To him, there would always be people that wanted absolute power but as a Magic Knight, he and his colleagues would stop them at every turn. He finally understood why his foster-brother was being cajoled into reclaiming his birthright. It was utterly horrifying, but Asta couldn’t show weakness now in front of a demon prince, especially if it regarded Yuno’s well-being. But something told Asta that Amon made the mistake of showing weakness while he was explaining his plans--his voice was weak when he said it--so naturally, it only made sense to pounce at him. Asta willed his fears to leave his body, forming a smug smirk. _Something tells me that you don’t want any part of this, Amon_ . He saw the demon prince wince. That was all Asta needed to continue, _Something tells me that you’re just doing this because your father told you to...and that you don’t actually have the resolve to carry out whatever plans your father had laid out._ He saw the demon prince slump his shoulders and look away. _Something tells me that you want to understand and cooperate with humans rather than kill them off_. Asta had absolutely no fucking clue what he was saying, but it looked like it was working.

Amon’s mental defenses were breaking. Who was this kid? How could he read him like some open book? There was nothing in his form that should’ve given it away...but why was everything that the grey-haired boy was saying true? Amon didn’t want any of this. He didn’t want anyone to be hurt. He thought the demons and humans could coexist peacefully. It was really only his father that forced him into doing this. He would call his dreams meaningless and torture him to the point where he actually wished he could feel pain so that he didn’t have to hear his father’s harsh, degrading words. For once, the demon prince was reduced to a stuttering mess, **_Y-Y-You don’t k-k-know w-what you’re saying, b-brat_ **.

Asta had him. He was so proud of himself for being able to look into a demon’s eyes and read his pain. Now, Asta needed to do the right thing--help him. _I like the way you think, Amon. We think the same way...Demon or human--I want everyone to live together peacefully, understanding one another and helping each other out._

Amon was left speechless. His eyes widened at how identical his and Asta’s ideals were. Was it possible? Was it possible that he had found a human that could understand him and make his wishes come true? Was luck actually with a devil, the incarnation of misfortune? No. This wasn’t luck. This was a universal concept that was more powerful--a phenomenon that transcended all races. This was fate. Fate had brought Amon and Asta together. But the question was: Should he take it and intertwine his string of fate with a human’s?

Asta could read those eyes loud and clear. So, Asta being Asta, said, _I’d like to make you an offer, Amon._ He paused to see if the demon prince was paying attention. _Change this world with me. I want to become Wizard King so that I can protect all those I love and bring forth the peace that I could only see in my dreams. I want you to see me do it because I know I can. Then, one day, I want you to see your--no--our dream come true: demons and humans, side-by-side, coexisting. If this fails, which I know it won’t, but if it does, then I’ll let you have me entirely._

Such childish determination coming from a grown human was almost sickening. So why was Amon drawn to it? Why did he believe every single word that his host proclaimed? Why did he want to do everything he could to see his--no--their dream come true? What was worse (or better?) was that Amon knew that what he was saying came from his heart because his mind and Asta’s were somewhat connected. He had seen the dreams he talked about, and Amon wanted to see those dreams become reality. He knew that what he was about to say was treason of the highest order, but he didn’t give a fuck now. Now that he had a human who saw the same way he saw, thought the same way he thought...he could give a rat’s ass about betraying his father. **_Alright, brat. You’ve got yourself a deal...But don’t think for a second that I’m agreeing because I believe in you or whatever...I only want to take over your body when you fail…_ ** If he didn’t have a pitch-black form, he would have seriously been blushing right now.

That was all Asta needed. Asta giggled because he could see a little bit of Nash in Amon--afraid to admit his actual feelings but considerate nonetheless. _Looks like I just made a new friend_ , Asta chuckled, grinning his signature grin at Amon.

Did Amon really make a human friend? He would never admit it, but he liked the feeling of having his first friend. **_Yeah, yeah, whatever, brat. I’m going to go back to sleep now. Our powers haven’t fully synchronized yet, so I need to recover. You can have your stupid body back._ ** With that, Amon closed his eyes and fell asleep. He didn’t notice that he was smiling warmly at the thought of having a friend.

_Outside the Witches’ Forest_

_Late-afternoon_

The battle between Asta and Ladros had resulted in Asta’s victory. His demon-possessed form had been drawn to the powerful magic that Ladros was using and wouldn’t ease up until the anti-magic consumed it all. In the end, Asta--well, Amon--had drained Ladros of nearly all his mana, reducing the blonde’s beefy, muscular form into skin and bones. But the fight had not yet concluded. 

Asta, whose demon-possession had ended since Amon had decided to go back to sleep, had been placed under the Queen of Witches’ control through her **Blood Magic: Puppet Blood Flow**. She had attempted to reawaken the devil that was inside Asta, but somehow, Asta had resisted--no--protected the devil despite being under a curse. So, the Queen of Witches had opted for using Asta as her puppet executioner to kill Domina, Fanzell, Fana, Mars, and his Black Bulls squadmates (except Vanessa) for having caused the destruction of her homeland.

That would have been the case had it not been for Asta’s new proficiency over his mind, and therefore, his body. This had set off a chain of events that opposed the Queen of Witches’ divinations. Vanessa’s emotions had overcome her, and her grimoire had begun to write a new spell-- **Thread Magic: Red Thread of Fate**. With that, a kitten made of red string had danced around Asta, who had lost control of his body, changing the fate of his target and protecting them. Not even the Queen of Witches had been able to defeat the universal concept that had taken the form of a feline. As a result, the Queen of Witches had been forced to admit her defeat, freeing and healing all of Asta’s friends and lifting her curse on Asta. She had then declared that the witches were allowed to freely roam the land, having the choice to leave or stay in the Witches’ Forest. Furthermore, she had willingly given her magic stone to Asta and offered some of her blood magic to Mars.

With that, the group of Clover and Diamond mages walked out of the Witches’ Forest, missions completed. That was when Mars and Asta exchanged awkward glances. Well, to be fair, Asta was glaring at Mars because he hadn’t stopped checking out his half-naked form. Before they parted ways, Mars asked, “S-So...Asta...I was w-wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime?”

“You bisexual moron!” shouted Fana, giving him a right uppercut to the jaw, causing the others in the group to erupt in light-hearted laughter. The laughing turned more awkward when Fana placed a kiss on his cheek, making the crystal mage blush. “I thought you said you were going to marry me,” she pointed out. Among the other word vomit Mars had said when he had tried to wake her up, the line that broke her spell was “Fana, I love you and want to marry you. Will you marry me?” She then kissed the bruise she had caused and asked, “So...who do you want to marry: Asta or me?”

“Can’t it be both?” Mars grumbled, rubbing his new bruise.

“Sorry, Asta’s taken,” Noelle reminded, interrupting Asta, whose mouth had been agape since Mars first spoke. With that, the group erupted in laughter again at Mars’s reaction--he hung his head low and mumbled, almost reluctantly, that he _guessed_ Fana would do, earning him a left uppercut to the other side of his jaw and another kiss. Asta finally got his thoughts in order and told Mars that he already had a man that he wanted to marry, making Noelle and Vanessa squeal with glee and Finral faint. As a result, the two settled on being friends, promising each other that they’ll come to the other’s aid whenever they needed. Mars smacked Asta’s ass when Asta wasn’t looking, earning him a simultaneous punch from Asta and Fana. 

After that, the groups went their separate ways with Fana going back with Fanzell and Domina after Mars promised that he’d propose to her properly once he and Ladros could convince the Diamond King to change his ways and make peace with the Clover Kingdom. 

  
Asta suggested that they should try out his **Demon Light Magic: Apollo’s Arrow** since he wanted to try out the new adjustments he made. So, the group agreed and hopped onto the faint-grey light arrow, causing them whiplash as they almost instantly arrived at their destination near Hage Village. His Black Bulls teammates had asked him if he wanted to visit his orphanage family, but he kindly declined, claiming that there was someone important that he had to talk to when they got back home...via broomstick this time, to Asta’s dismay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are curious as to what “the tune” is, it’s “You Are My Sunshine” by Johnny Cash. I find myself humming it a lot to my baby niece whenever she goes into a crying fit because it always soothes her. Also, by sheer coincidence, the third line fits in perfectly with Finral/Yuno’s situation. (But let’s just chalk that off to me actually planning on it...so I sound cooler, obviously.)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short...for good reason...
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_Evening_

Leo, Marisol, Mereleona, and just about everyone else in the Crimson Lion Kings had captured Asta in a group hug when they had seen him arrive with no arm slings and waving his arms to make his cured state more obvious. Everyone had bombarded him with questions only to fall silent once more when they had noticed that Asta was quiet, causing them to worry. But since it had already been nearing evening, the Crimson Lion Kings had decided it would be best for the Vermillion family to settle things. After having paid a visit to a comatosed Fuegoleon in his room, Asta had dragged Leo to their room, his heart rate going faster with each step that closed the distance between them and the door.

Once they had made it inside, Leo pinned Asta to the back of the door and demanded his boyfriend explain himself. Asta calmly cleared up the suspicions for his lack of words since his arrival back from the Witches’ Forest. He told him everything, including the reason why he feared men so much, Revchi Salik, Edmund’s syndrome, his miscarrige, Marisol’s makeshift grave, and the deal he made with a devil prince. Leo listened attentively, commenting only when he felt the need. After that, Asta asked nervously, “So, Leo, what do you think? Can you...can you accept me? Can you love a demon-possessed, bereaved mother?”

“Yes, Asta,” Leo answered immediately. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend would think that what had happened in his past would make Leo look at him differently in the present. “Nothing can change the way I feel about you, love. And let this mark on my forehead,” he pointed to the red diamond with his thumb, “remind you that no matter what you are, no matter what you do, I will love you until we grow old and wrinkly, happily married with our wonderful grandchildren playing around us.”

That was it. That was the affirmation Asta needed. He commanded the last broken piece in his heart to fall into its place and with it, he could feel a real heartbeat--one that was full of love and not hollow like before. It was warm. It was gentle. It was marvelous...It was freedom. Freedom from the man that had haunted him in his nightmares, that had turned his bright, childish smile into a dark, twisted frown, that had taken his innocence and his child...and it was all thanks to Yuno, Finral, Marisol, his orphanage family, and the Black Bulls, but most of all...it was thanks to the man right in front of him, who never bat an eye when he said that he loved him and wanted to marry him. It was this moment that Asta knew he would never in a million years regret saying “yes” when he proposed. Now all that was left was to seal their fate. 

Asta heard Leo ask him if everything was ok because he had fallen silent again, but he quickly cut him off by freeing his hands from Leo’s grip and yanking him towards him, crashing their lips together. Asta wanted this. Asta wanted everything Leo could give him, and he wouldn’t end this night until he got what he wanted. He and Leo had done this many nights already, each makeout session becoming hotter, hungrier as his and Leo’s carnal desires grew more and more desperate to be let loose. Asta snaked his hand down Leo’s body, stopping at his crotch. He cupped it and squeezed the already hard member that was trapped in Leo’s pants, eliciting a hiss from Leo.

Leo grabbed the hand that had squeezed his aching cock and pinned it back over Asta’s head. As their lips parted for breath, Leo leaned over the side of Asta’s head, lips brushing over his ear, and whispered breathily, “You’re playing with fire, baby.”

Asta shivered at the pet name. He wiggled his hand free once more to squeeze Leo’s crotch once more, earning him a growl of warning. He yelped when he felt Leo bite the shell of his ear. Squeezing again, he whispered seductively in Leo’s ear, “Good...then let me burn, daddy.”

Leo’s eyes shot open at the admission only closing back when he felt Asta entangle his hand in his hair. Leo wasted no time in picking him up, forcing Asta to wrap his legs around Leo’s waist and capturing him in another wet, hungry kiss. Leo didn’t struggle to carry Asta over to the bed, gently laying Asta’s body over the foot of the bed. As they kissed, Leo hastily took off his Crimson Lion Kings’ robe, then Asta’s, tossing them to wherever, then his own shirt and white tunic, then Asta’s jacket and crimson-colored shirt. This would continue until both of them laid on top of each other, fully naked and waiting for the other to make their move.

Asta shuddered as he felt Leo’s intense gaze raking over his body. That didn’t mean Asta didn’t do the same. His viridian-colored eyes travelled down Leo’s chiseled chest along with his hand. He bit his lip when he went lower, down Leo’s well-defined abs. He stopped himself before he went any lower, thinking that his heart couldn’t take what Leo had to offer down there. He started up again at his chest and went down. Asta did this for about another three times because... _fuck_ . Asta knew that he himself was ripped...but Leo was... _fuck_. He didn’t know how he could describe Leo’s tan form--an adonis? A sex god? Asta didn’t know. He gulped as he dared himself to go down further after the third time, taking hold of his cock. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath at feeling Leo’s size and girth. Could this really fit inside of him? Asta was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Leo growl at him, the sound causing his eyes to shoot back up to Leo’s. Leo was looking at him like he wanted to eat him, so...Asta was food? For once, Asta liked that. He smirked mischievously as he began to move his hand up and down the length of Leo’s dick while his other hand roamed over the muscles of his upper body.

Leo allowed Asta to tease him, reminding himself that outside of what had happened with Revchi, this was Asta’s first time. Still, it took every fiber in his being to not attack him right then and there, seeing how hard Asta was for him. Leo caught him by surprise when he crushed his lips against his once more. This time, Leo would go all-out. He bit Asta’s lip, asking for entrance, earning him a mewl. Unlike their previous makeout sessions, however, Asta fought back as their tongues battled for dominance. Leo growled to assert his, allowing him to swirl his tongue around, getting that familiar taste of plain-baked tatoes and chocolate.

What the hell was Leo doing? He never acted like this during their previous makeout sessions. _Has he been holding back?_ Asta thought. Another mewl escaped him as Leo sucked his tongue. _He’s definitely been holding back_ , Asta thought. The kiss felt so surreal that Asta thought Leo was fucking his mouth. Asta wrapped his arms around Leo’s neck to deepen the kiss. His skin tingled as he moaned into Leo’s mouth, feeling Leo’s battle-hardened hands run up and down his body. Their mouths and tongues kept clashing in the building desperation, parting for breath only momentarily before going at it again. Asta could feel Leo’s dick pressed over his own. Asta’s body acted on its own, rutting up against Leo, begging him to put it in.

Leo grinded on him at the same time. This was getting too hard, but Leo forced himself to stay patient for Asta’s sake. He suddenly felt Asta’s hand reach between them so that he could touch himself. Immediately, Leo broke their kiss, earning him a gasp, and grabbed both of Asta’s wrists, pinning them over his head. “No,” he ordered in a deep voice. He started scattering softer kisses on Asta’s cheek then his chin. As he made his way down his neck, he nipped at an area where his artery was, earning a suppressed moan from Asta. He sucked the spot and licked it before moving to the other side and doing the same. Leo continued his descent, sucking there, biting over here--he wanted to leave marks all over Asta’s body so that whenever he went shirtless, he would bear all those hickies, reminding anyone that was with him that he was Leo’s and only Leo’s. He sucked and licked one of Asta’s nipples, tasting a sweet, milky substance, while he pinched the other one. Then, he did the same to the other. After that, he went lower, placing more and more hickies over Asta’s upper body.

As Leo did these things, Asta’s moans only grew louder, preventing him from suppressing them and filling their room and probably waking up whoever was next door. He could only watch as Leo made his way lower and lower. Suddenly, he felt Leo let go of his hands. He didn’t have enough time to register as he felt Leo brush a finger over his entrance.

“Relax, baby,” Leo cooed. He could see a clear fluid seeping out of Asta’s entrance. Leo was confused at first, but then remembered what his mother’s mission briefing had said when he had snuck into her room one night. Whenever Asta was aroused, his body would produce a natural lubricant that would allow for easier penetration, which meant that Asta didn’t need much preparation like the other guys he was with. Still, Leo indulged himself in getting a taste, so he licked some of the lubricant that was already wetting the bed sheets. It was sweet but a little salty because of Asta’s swass.

“L-Leo..!” Asta cried out as he felt Leo’s tongue brush over his sensitive hole. Whatever Leo was planning to do, he needed to do it soon because Asta didn’t know how long he could last, a small pool of pre-cum already forming over his stomach.

The action had caused Asta to tense up, so Leo rubbed his perineum to make him relax. Once he saw the tension leave Asta’s body, Leo easily slipped one finger in, making Asta scream his name again. Leo growled as he felt Asta clench around his finger. If he was this tight, then Leo wouldn’t last for long. Couple that with the fact that Leo had been abstaining (which included not touching himself), and Leo would only last seconds. He slipped in another finger, earning him another scream of his name. His dick throbbed achingly, wanting to be enveloped in Asta’s tight hole. He started scissoring inside Asta, trying to loosen him up, as he slipped in a third finger, twisting the three fingers around lazily. He expertly avoided a certain spot inside of Asta--this was mainly for Leo’s sake because he could probably get off at the sight of Asta coming and screaming his name, but he wanted to drag this out and make it an unforgettable experience for Asta.

The pain that Asta had felt from the sudden intrusion slowly subsided and was replaced with pleasure as he felt Leo place in more digits. Asta didn’t dare touch himself anymore because he knew only a couple of strokes could send him over the edge. This was way too much. Way. Too. Fucking. Much. Just when Asta thought it couldn’t get any worse (or better?), he felt his aching member get engulfed in a wet heat. Asta bit his lip, trying to suppress another moan, but it escaped as he felt Leo’s tongue skillfully flick his frenulum and then make its way downward. Asta was so close. He snatched Leo’s hair frantically pushing him lower while he started thrusting his hips upward. It was when Leo added his hand into the combination that the tight coil in the pit of his stomach snapped as Asta was sent over the edge, pushing Leo’s head down on instinct. “Leo..!” Asta screamed at the top of his lungs.

Leo relaxed his throat as he felt spurt after spurt of Asta’s salty cum make its way down. It was a lot, even for Leo, revealing to him that Asta had also been abstaining. Once he felt the last drop of white liquid come down his throat, Leo slowly went up and released his mouth the head of Asta’s cock with a resounding pop. He looked at Asta’s dazed form, proud that he was the cause of that. “You ready, baby?” Leo panted in a raspy voice. He saw Asta nod weakly, still recovering from his orgasm. With that, he removed the three fingers that were prepping Asta’s entrance. He positioned the head of his cock at Asta’s entrance as he angled Asta’s ass upward. He pushed the tip in and immediately groaned from the wet tightness that suddenly surrounded him. On the other hand, this had caused Asta to scream in a mix of pain and pleasure, so Leo leaned over and straddled Asta’s head between his arms. He laid a soft, gentle kiss on his lips and then more all over his face. Then, he leaned closer to Asta’s ear and whispered tenderly as he pushed a little more of himself inside, “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of you. It’s only gonna get a lot better from here.”

Asta relaxed slightly at the affirmation. He knew he could trust Leo with this, but if what Asta saw earlier said anything, then Leo was barely inside of him. This made him a little bit worried and with it, a residual memory of _that_ day came flashing back. Asta fought it--he mentally pummeled it to the ground and ripped it to shreds because like hell he was going to ruin this moment of closeness with the man he loved. Asta whimpered when he suddenly felt Leo stop at, what he guessed, was about halfway inside of him. He opened his eyes to see concern written over Leo’s face.

“You’re crying, Asta,” Leo pointed out as he wiped a tear that was making its way over one of Asta’s cheekbones. _Maybe this is too much for him. I should probably stop_ , thought Leo. In an unexpected turn of events, as Leo began to pull out slowly, he felt Asta clench around his length. His eyes shot back up at half-lidded, lustful viridian-colored eyes that were expressing a dark, sinful need. Leo growled at him, causing Asta to shudder, and he grabbed a fistful of Asta’s hair as he bit an unmarked part of his neck. “Don’t do this, Asta,” he threatened menacingly.

Asta moaned when he felt Leo bite his neck again, but he tilted his neck and grabbed a fistful of Leo’s hair with the same amount of strength that was yanking at his to push his mouth onto him more. “If you don’t fuck me senseless right now, Leopold, I swear to God I will ride your dick until you die,” Asta threatened back desperately. That was probably as much dirty-talk as Asta could muster since he was still dizzy from his earlier high. He could only hope that Leo had gotten the message.

“Shit,” Leo grunted. To hell with holding back--he felt his self-control snap at Asta’s use of his whole name. Fuck being nice--if Asta wanted it rough, then he was going to get it rough. Leo thrusted his hips forward, slamming the rest of himself into Asta with his pelvis smacking Asta’s ass cheeks with a bruising force. He heard Asta scream loud enough that it probably woke up everyone in the estate, but Leo could care less because fucking hell, Asta was so wet and tight for him. He wasn’t going to last much longer and they’d just started. He straddled Asta’s head with his arms again as he started setting a rhythm. He caught Asta in a sloppy lip-lock as fucked him. Soon enough, he felt his climax approaching, so he hooked Asta’s knees from underneath him, adjusting their positions once more, and began to hit the spot that he had saved for this moment.

_What the fuck was that?_ Asta thought as he felt Leo’s dick touch a particularly sensitive spot that made him see stars. In his mind, he was still somewhat able to form coherent sentences, but all his mouth could scream was, “Oh fuck, oh, God, fuck yes, Leo..! Whatever that was, do it again! Fucking Christ above, please, do it again!” He dug his fingers into Leo’s shoulder blades, probably breaking his skin, as he thrusted his hips toward Leo in time with his thrusts. He could feel his second orgasm coming.

“Fuck, baby,” Leo groaned wantonly as he felt the pleasurable pain on his back. He tugged Asta’s hair again, making him whimper, and growled into his ear commandingly, “Say it, baby. Say it.”

_Damn him_ , Asta thought, _Damn this handsome jerk_. He originally meant to whisper what he was going to say for his dignity, but what came out, instead, was a howl as he felt Leo grab his dick with his other hand and begin to stroke it. “G-Give it to me, daddy! P-Please, give it to me!” With that, he felt Leo’s rhythmic thrusts go out the door as he pounded into him more frantically. “L-Leo..!” he cried out in an earth-shattering scream after one, hard thrust. After that, Asta saw a white light as he felt wave after wave of pure ecstasy come over his body in a mind-blowing orgasm. 

Despite being his second, Asta kept coming, coating Leo’s hand. Not a second later, Leo was sent over the edge. “A-Asta..!” Leo yelled as he felt Asta clench tighter around his dick. He could feel his knees buckling as euphoric shockwaves rippled throughout his body, depositing months-worth of hot, sticky cum deep inside of Asta. He forced whatever mental hold to reality he had left to ride out his and Asta’s orgasms. Then, he finally stilled and collapsed on top of Asta. Both boys were breathless as they tried to recover from their highs. Leo knew something was wrong. This was way too fucking amazing, but at the same time, it was way too fucking much. Way. Too. Fucking. Much. He could feel his dick still hard as a rock. He hissed when he felt Asta squirm underneath him, so he lifted himself up and held Asta still. “Don’t...fucking...move...Asta,” he pleaded breathily.

Asta felt like being mean. So, he used a little bit of recovery magic while Leo held him still. It was faint enough that Leo wouldn’t sense or see it, especially since he was still probably recovering. _Payback’s a bitch, Leo_ , thought Asta as he smiled devilishly. Feeling that his body had somewhat healed, he flipped their positions, forcing Leo into the supine position while he straddled him without pulling his dick out. Suddenly, he heard Leo stifle a sound that was a mix between a choke and a groan as he felt more of Leo’s cum shoot into him. “Did you just come again, Leo?” he asked, looking at the half-conscious form of his boyfriend.

“I t-told...you...not...to...move, asshole,” Leo panted. There was seriously something wrong. After two orgasms, his dick should be getting soft, right? So, why was it getting harder? His breath hitched again as he felt Asta grind his hips dangerously on him. He held them in his place and demanded harshly, “What...the fuck...do you think...you’re doing, Asta?”

Asta chuckled maliciously. He leaned down and kissed Leo lazily. “Getting even, daddy,” he purred. The room was quiet enough that Asta could hear Leo gulp. It was true--Asta wanted payback for having made him say that he loved him in front of all their colleagues that night at the infirmary. In reality, however, Asta was thirsty for some Vermillion cock...but he preferred that Leo would assume the former because it made things more...interesting. With that, Asta rode Leo on the bed as they fucked for the second time that night. The night would go on, filling the estate with moans, groans, chokes, squeals, screams, and everything in between. That night, Asta discovered that like Yuno, he had an impossibly high sex drive. After the bed, Leo slammed him against the wall as they fucked for the third time. After the wall, they fucked on the couch, knocking over furniture in the process with Asta surprising Leo how _flexible_ he was. After the couch, they fucked on the floor. After the floor, they fucked against the window. After the window, they fucked on the balcony for all the Royal Capital to hear their love-making noises. After the window, they fucked in the closet. After the closet, they fucked in the shower. After the shower, they finally settled down in the bathtub.

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_After Asta and Leo’s eventful night, early-morning_

“Ahh,” Asta hummed as Leo massaged his sore hips. They had just finished their last session in the bathtub, which really should’ve just been called a mini-hot spring since one could fit about fifteen people in it at the same time and still have room for more. As he relaxed his body, he could feel the contents of his asshole ooze out and dissipate in the hot, healing waters. As he looked down at how much of Leo’s seed was coming out of him, he was, again, reminded of last night’s events--he would never admit it because Leo’s ego was already as big as it was, but Asta found his reload time impressive. He leaned his head back on Leo’s chest.

“That was pretty...eventful, Asta,” Leo said, alluding to last night. He didn’t know Asta had that side of him, but he definitely...never, _ever_ wanted to see it again. His grey-haired boyfriend may have fulfilled all, if not most, of his fantasies (in the room, at least), but whoever Asta was that night, he was thankful it had gone away after they fucked in the bathtub. _Goddamn sex monster_ , Leo thought. He would much rather have Asta as he was now: kind, caring, loving and all the good, mushy feelings.

“That’s the biggest understatement of the century, Leo, and you know it,” Asta scoffed. He tried to adjust his position so that he was sitting on Leo’s lap, wincing at the pain that shot up his backside. “You fucking broke my ass, Leo,” he groaned.

Leo tried to help Asta sit on his lap, but winced when he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. “Well you fucking broke my dick, Asta,” he complained. He didn’t know what kept him so hard throughout the night, especially since neither of them had opted to use the magic items that would have maintained their erections and sex cravings. Did he and Asta crave each other that much? Leo shuddered at the thought.

“Yeah, well don’t expect last night to happen ever again...let’s just settle for maybe once or twice a night,” he mumbled bashfully as a red tint made its way onto his cheeks.

Leo didn’t hesitate to answer, “Agreed.” He could handle once or twice, any number as long as it didn’t reach the number they had reached last night. His dick ached at the thought of going at it that much again.

Asta smiled warmly at Leo before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Leo,” he cooed and nuzzled up to his chest, not minding anymore that both of them were completely naked.

Leo placed a gentle kiss on top of Asta’s head and said, “I love you too, Asta.” With that, the couple rested their sore bodies in the healing waters for about another hour before they heard a knock at the door. “Must be time to start the day,” he muttered.

“M’Five more minutes...please,” Asta mumbled. He had fallen soundly asleep in Leo’s arms, not hearing the knock.

Had it not been for the fact that he and Asta had a mission today, Leo would’ve happily allowed Asta to continue resting. But duty called, so Leo gently shook Asta awake, calling his name quietly, and added, “I think I smell plain-baked tatoes and a chocolate milkshake.” This made Asta jolt up, wide awake, all semblance of sleep disappearing with it.

With that, Asta healed his and Leo’s sore muscles as they stepped out of the bathtub, drying themselves up and climbing into a fresh pair of their clothes. He had to snap Leo out of his trance because he was admiring all the hickies scattered all over his body. This was going to be an awkward couple of days, especially since his recovery magic couldn’t really heal all of them--some faded but most of them were as annoyingly dark as ever.

Awkward was probably another understatement. After Asta and Leo had fixed themselves up, they went to casually greet the person knocking on their door--Thomas, the third member of their three-man squad. He was blushing red and averting his gaze while he bid the couple a good morning. As a matter of fact, everyone seemed to be in the same bashful state as the three made their way to the dining room, even Nala, who refused to look at her master and his boyfriend while she walked by their side. It was probably only Mereleona, who had a cheeky grin on her face, that acted “normal”, slapping Leo’s back and offering him a high-five for surpassing his limits. Leo and Asta both tried to act as normal as possible as well, but after last night, the two were even closer, occasionally feeding each other spoonfuls of their food and stealing kisses whenever the other wasn’t looking--it was disgustingly cute.


	27. Chapter 27

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_A dungeon_

As the day had continued, things had gotten even more awkward since Asta, Leo, and Thomas had to team up with Finral, Noelle, and Gauche to take on another dungeon. Finral wedged himself between Asta and Leo as they explored the dungeon. Noelle glared holes in the back of Leo’s head. Gauche, whose nose wouldn’t stop bleeding, constantly barked at Asta and Leo for tainting Marie’s angelic ears with their devil sounds. Thomas always tried to get the group to focus on the mission, reminding everyone of the upcoming Star Awards Festival. It only served to rile up the two squads even more, but this time, they fought over Asta since the grey-haired boy had never hesitated to give the larger star rewards to his Black Bulls squadmates since he was always with them for the tougher missions.

But it didn’t help that this dungeon would also result in a large amount of stars. Eventually, Asta, under the pressure of his squadmates from both squads, chose to split the stars in half, settling their dispute. The dungeon itself wasn’t too amazing like the last dungeon Asta had been in. The treasure was, like usual, incredible. It was during this dungeon run that Asta’s grimoire would react with a worn-out grimoire that glowed with a purple hue and then withered away. Remembering what had happened with Yuno’s grimoire, Asta thought he was chosen by a mana spirit, but when he opened his grimoire, the pages where there should’ve been writing were blank. He didn’t notice that when he looked away to see Finral pranking Thomas that two spells appeared on the pages he had perused only to disappear once more when he looked back at his grimoire.

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Training Grounds_

_The same day_

After that, the two squads had set out to report back to their headquarters. The day had proceeded normally as Asta trained with some of his Crimson Lion King squadmates and Leo. It was after he and Mereleona had had an intense one-on-one sparring session that the temporary captain pulled Asta over before he could go inside to eat dinner and freshen up (among other things…). He and Mereleona sat criss-crossed on the green grass staring at nothing in particular. It was a comfortable silence that was only broken when Mereleona spoke up.

“Asta, I’m going to let you in on something, and I’d like you to keep it a secret,” Mereleona said.

This wouldn’t be the first time that someone confided something in him. “Of course, Mero. What is it?” Asta asked, trying to hide his curiosity.

Mereleona started, “I want you to listen to every word I say. No ifs, ands, or buts.” She looked from the corner of her eye and saw Asta nod. She took a deep breath and explained, “During the upcoming Star Awards Festival, the Clover King will announce that he and Julius will be conducting an exam for a special squad that will exclusively work under the Clover King’s command...but you and I both know that we’re really still working for the Wizard King.” She paused giving Asta an amused smirk as he guffawed probably at the thought of working for a good-for-nothing king. “Anyways, this squad will be called the ‘Royal Knights’ and will consist of a specially-picked group of Magic Knights with me as the captain. We are going to storm the suspected hideout of the Eye of the Midnight Sun with the sole objective of eliminating them and quashing their plans. The reason I’m telling you this is because I want you to participate. I will not disclose any further information to you about the exam itself, but I do want you to know that I expect you to display cooperativity, patience, and cunning during the exam. I have no doubt that you and your foster-brother, the prince, will make it to the finals, but I want you to hold nothing back. This exam will also test your resolve, and I want you to show me that you can set aside your feelings for Yuno in the name of victory. So, kid, what do you say?”

An exam that tests to determine who deserved to be in an elite squad that would combat a terrorist group sounded intriguing. It made sense to Asta that Mereleona would want him to take it, but he knew that it would be difficult to set aside his love and instinct to protect Yuno. Still, he couldn’t pass up this opportunity, especially if it meant gaining more merit to become the Wizard King. _Yuno, I know you won’t hold back either because we’re rivals...but I’m gonna beat you!_ Asta thought. He fist-pumped in the air, earning him a chuckle from his temporary captain. Again, there was that nagging feeling that there was more to this than she was telling him, so he asked if he could ask her some questions. Once she nodded, he voiced his question, “Why do I have the feeling that there’s more to this? What will happen, Mero, if I win?”

“Not going to answer that one, kid. Ask another question,” Mereleona said. She should’ve known that Asta would be suspicious, but that didn’t mean that she would give him what he wanted.

“Ok,” Asta pouted. What else could he ask? He couldn’t think of any good questions, so he settled for something bland. “What happens after we complete our mission, if I make it into the Royal Knights? Will we just disband?”

Mereleona had to think this one through. The Royal Knights were really meant for just this one mission, but she supposed that if it ended well, they would continue being an elite force. “I don’t think so, kid. I think the Royal Knights will continue, but only to take on the most dangerous missions when necessary, so if anything, the Royal Knights will be on a temporary hiatus until further notice if and when we complete this mission.”

Asta was pumped for that. Who wouldn’t want to take on those dangerous missions? If it meant that he was protecting the Clover Kingdom, he’d take on all of those missions himself. “Alright, Mero. I’ll do it!” he cheered, earning him a slap on the back from Mereleona. After that, the pair jogged back to the mansion and had dinner with the squad. 

Asta and Leo had some steamy, shower sex before they cuddled in each other’s arms and fell asleep, ignoring the whistles of approval from the men in the hallway...at least they weren’t embarrassed anymore...but they were definitely perverts for listening.

_Royal Capital_

_Star Festival_

_About three weeks later_

Ever since Asta had agreed to take the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam, the sparring sessions with Mereleona had gotten more intense. Mereleona would eventually have to call in a protective barrier team so that she and Asta wouldn’t have to worry about destroying the estate. Like always, these sparring sessions drew small crowds from different squads--Mereleona didn’t mind small gatherings, but she had limited the number and banned certain people (Yuno) because it wouldn’t have been fair for the competition to scout Asta. Even the Silver Eagles and Golden Dawn, who once thought that the grey-haired boy would never survive a second in the Magic Knights, let alone against _the_ Mereleona Vermillion, occasionally dropped by--but if it wasn’t Mimosa or Klaus, the noble/royal visitors would always make the lame excuse that they were sent by their captains to leave a message. 

It would be after one of those sessions that Yuno would finally be able to persuade Mimosa and Klaus to report to him about Asta’s progress. After they had told him, the pit of envy would return but recede slightly when Finral came to sleep. This would continue--Mimosa and Klaus would pay a visit, Yuno would persuade them to report, the pit of envy would return only to recede slightly. As that dark pit grew, however, Yuno would begin to avoid any communication with Asta despite the grey-haired boy’s countless advances to at least wave to him or give some form of acknowledgement. Yuno would always tell Finral that it was because his feelings for him were so intense...but even he began to have his doubts. With doubt, the cracks in his heart would return, and he wouldn’t allow Finral to fix them. With this, the cracks would grow along with the pit of envy, and the rift between Yuno and Asta would continue to widen, even when Asta would try everything he could to lessen the strain on their relationship.

But it wouldn't be like before where Asta would mope around, wondering what he had done to piss off Yuno because this time, he had his friends and second family to support him. Finral would always tell him how Yuno was doing. Mimosa would sneak in the plain-baked tatoes that Asta would ask the Vermillions’ sous-chef to cook up. Noelle would visit him constantly to talk about whatever and distract his mind. Nala would always offer fluffy cuddles whenever anyone wasn’t around and Asta had a day off. And Leo would be the pillar that Asta could lean on whenever it got bad; Leo never pushed Asta to tell him what he was thinking mainly because their minds, like their hearts, were one, understanding the other without having to voice out what worried them, so silence was never an issue. He had never cared if he went days without sex because all he wanted was Asta happy...but that didn’t mean that when they did have sex, it wasn’t good because by God, it was _phenomenal_. Whenever Asta was in the mood, Leo would count it as a blessing because the sex would always be otherworldly.

Speaking of otherworldly, Asta would reveal to only a select few about his demon-possession, explaining to them who his demon was and what he wanted. Mereleona would only allow Asta to practice his anti-magic powers in secluded areas in the Forsaken Realm under her, Leo’s, Finral’s, or Noelle’s direct supervision. This was because Asta and Amon’s souls weren’t completely aligned and without the proper synchronization, Amon would take over more of Asta’s body than planned. It wasn’t that Amon wanted to do it, but it was mainly because Amon’s anti-magic would always react violently with Asta’s mana and if either lost even a second of concentration, their synchronization would be thrown off. As for why Asta had to be supervised, it was really for any passerby’s sake because even if the Forsaken Realm was sparsely populated in terms of people per square kilometer, there were always people wandering around and if Asta ever lost control...well, it’s safe to say that all hell would break loose. Asta would always pay back his supervisors with some training--a little extra for Leo, of course.

Now, it would be around three weeks since his anti-magic training began. Asta and Leo were going on a double date with Noelle and Kahono while Kiato supervised (and Nala supervised Kiato because she knew her master treated the silver-haired royal like a sister), acting a lot like Finral whenever one of the girls got too handsy--were all big brothers like that? They did everything a pair of couples could do at the Star Festival. When they got to the haunted house, it was so dark that Asta tripped over a fake severed hand, causing Leo to fall over him. Luckily, Kahono, Noelle, Kiato, and Nala were in a different part of the house because one thing led to another and the next thing the couple knew, Asta was on the counter in a private bathroom with Leo balls-deep inside of him. They didn’t notice that just right outside, Nozel was trying to keep his cool as he tried to keep Vanessa calm after confessing to her that he planned on proposing to her “soon”. (He wanted to do it at that moment but when he had seen Noelle, he decided that it would be best that he at least find the time to apologize to his little sister and explain his actions. Whenever that time would be, he wouldn’t know, but when it would happen, he would ask Vanessa for her hand promptly.)

In a different, more child-friendly section of the Star Festival, Finral was freaking the fuck out. He and Yuno had decided to go out and have some fun before the ranking ceremony would begin. For some reason, Finral always brought out the child in Yuno that only one other person could do. The reason why Finral was freaking out was because Yuno grabbed a hold of his hand as they walked around the various booths. Finral knew that Yuno didn’t like big crowds, so he should;ve expected Yuno to seek comfort in him.

Soon enough, the time for the ceremony came, so all the couples (official and unofficial), commoners, nobles, and visitors made their way to where the Wizard King was making his introductory remarks. When Nozel made it to the waiting area to be introduced, he was forced (ok, maybe he wanted it, too) to kiss Vanessa in front of the other captains. When Asta and Leo made it to where Mereleona was waiting, Mereleona punched Leo in the face, sending him flying, because _Vermillions should be thinking with their heads and not their dicks_ , revealing that she had heard the couple in the bathroom.

When the ranking ceremony commenced, it was no surprise that the Golden Dawn ranked first place with Yuno earning the most stars for his squad’s total of 125 stars. As Yuno and Sylph quietly accepted the praise, his small half-smile turned into a deep frown when he heard that the Black Bulls ranked second with Asta earning the most stars for his squad’s total of 101 stars. Yuno smiled warmly at Asta when the smaller boy hugged him in front of everyone, but the smile lasted mere seconds when the Wizard King explained to the perplexed crowd that Asta was a Crimson Lion King that worked with his home squad and the Black Bulls, allowing him to earn a whopping 125 stars that he unevenly divided in favor of the his former squad. Yuno’s eye twitched as he made the calculations, realizing that Asta would have brought either one of his squads to rank one had it not been for his selflessness. 

The ceremony would continue, announcing: the Silver Eagles in third place with 95 stars (Nozel’s eye twitched and face blushed as he overheard Vanessa cheering his name), the Blue Rose Knights in fourth place with 83 stars, the Crimson Lion Kings in fifth place with 76 stars (Mereleona’s eye twitched as she shot a cold glare at her squad that was listening in the crowd), the Green Praying Mantises in sixth place with 69 stars, the Coral Peacocks in seventh place with 67 stars, the Purple Orcas in eighth place with 51 stars (to the new captain, Kaiser Granvorka’s, disappointment), and the Azure Deer in ninth place with 49 stars (to Rill’s shock).

After the ceremony, King Augustus Kira Clover XIII presented himself arrogantly as always to his “loyal” subjects, who revered the king as weakly as they possibly could. As predicted by Mereleona, the king announced the upcoming Royal Knights Exam that would take place in a week’s time, explaining the same details that Asta had already heard from Mereleona...but in a less squeaky and faltering voice. Yuno and Asta joked to each other, rather loudly, that either one of them would make better kings than the rubber chicken that was King Augustus, “forcing” the king’s hand and ordering their immediate executions only to cower behind Julius after he heard a loud growl from Nala, who had made her way to the stage to congratulate her master.

After the ceremony, Asta tried to use his proximity to Yuno to get him to tell him why his raven-haired foster-brother was avoiding him as they made their way off stage, only to be grabbed by Mereleona’s fire lion paws. They, along with Yami, Charlotte, Sol, Noelle, Leo, and the Crimson Lion Kings were forced to obey the temporary captain’s orders to follow her to a “hot spring”.

_Somewhere in the Clover Kingdom_

_Ultime Volcano Mountain Trail_

_Around sunset_

Asta liked being hot. He liked being hot after an intense training session. He liked being hot when Leo fucked him. He did _not_ like being hot because he was meters away from molten lava. He and everyone else gulped, “W-Why did you take us here, Captain Mereleona?”

Mereleona smirked. “I promised you all a hot spring, and you’re going to get one!” she shouted to the fearful crowd of Magic Knights. She pointed to the top of the volcano and added, “Your objective is to get to the top of the volcano before nightfall. There, the hot spring with its soothing healing properties awaits you. If you do not make it by nightfall, you will return here with me at a later date.” She paused and saw the group stiffen at the thought of having to return. “Now, quit stalling and get your asses moving!” she commanded, kicking both Asta and Leo onto the trail.

The rest of the group followed suit only to be shocked by the intense heat emanating from the volcano. They were about to turn back when Captains Yami and Charlotte zoomed past them, easily climbing the mountain trail. Leo recognized the purple and turquoise hue that surrounded the captains body. He announced to everyone, “Hey! I think they’re using mana skin to protect themselves from the intense heat.” He fell silent when someone asked how they could cast the reinforcement magic.

While Leo and the others were contemplating on how to go about doing it, Yuno and Asta fell silent for another reason. They had already guessed that the technique would require concentration of the mana around them and willing it to form into a coat. Soon enough, the two were able to cast their mana skin over their bodies--Yuno’s had a light-green hue, while Asta’s had a faint-grey hue. They smirked at each other, knowing that this would turn into a competition. Yuno got the lead because Asta was pulled back by Leo and Noelle, asking him how they did it. Asta leaned up and whispered seductively in Leo’s ear, “If you and everyone else can figure it out yourselves and you get there before nightfall, then I promise when we get home, I’ll give you an extra, special prize, _daddy_.”

Leo shuddered. He liked the sound of that. He gave Asta the nod to leave. With that, Asta bolted for Yuno at lightspeed. He shouted, “E-Everyone, I think we have to concentrate the mana around us and turn it into a coat...It’ll be difficult, especially in a Grand Magic Zone...but if you’re like me and you want to join the Royal Knights, then we can do it!” With that, the group made a rallying cry and did as Leo said. Slowly, they could feel the Grand Magic Zone’s intense heat leave their skins as they activated their mana skins. Leo wasted no time and ran as fast as legs could take him because he was not going to pass up on this “extra, special prize”.

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Ultime Volcano Mountain Trail - Hot Springs_

_Nighttime_

The trek up the mountain trail was perilous for everyone except Asta, Yuno, and the captains. On their way up, they had run into a Magical Lifeform created by the volcano itself. Leo and Noelle had argued over how they should go about defeating the monster only to have it annihilated by Asta, who licked his lips seductively and gave Leo a wink, making Leo chase after him without a care of whether or not the group was following him. Luckily, Leo and some of the group had arrived just in time as the last ray of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon. Asta had to tell Leo to stand down or else he wouldn’t get his “extra, special prize” because Leo rushed at the grey-haired boy, planting soft kisses all over his face while ignoring the low growl that came from Yuno.

Asta, Yuno, and Leo’s breaths hitched when Mereleona ordered them to strip after the hot spring suddenly appeared. Yuno reacted the way he did because he knew seeing Asta naked would give him an instant boner. Asta and Leo reacted the way they did because neither wanted to show to everyone the hickies they had left on each other’s bodies. Thankfully, Asta didn’t have to worry about it because (to Leo and Yuno’s dismay), Mereleona told him to go on the girls’ side after Sol had casted her **Earth Magic: Mud Wall Partition** to divide the hot spring for fear that the perverted men would be peeking at her sister’s “awesomely gorgeous” body.

On the girls’ side, Mereleona explained to Asta why she wanted him with her. To Asta’s surprise, it wasn’t because she wanted to protect him from Leo, who would have more than likely pounced on him the moment he would have seen Asta naked, rather it was because she wanted to talk to him about the mana skin he had used to climb up the mountain trail. That was when Charlotte chimed in and asked the grey-haired Magic Knight if he could recall the attack he had performed at the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam. Asta claimed that he vaguely remembered to which Mereleona commented that mana skin was a small-scale version of mana zone where, depending on the mage’s skill, one could control the mana over a certain area. Charlotte added that that was how the giant faint-grey lightsword had appeared from the sky--Asta’s mana zone had extended a great distance. Asta then asked if Mereleona could help him get back to that level to which she agreed as long as Asta would buy her earplugs so that she could sleep while he and Leo had sex. Asta agreed without any hesitation. With that, the girls and Asta relaxed in the warmth of the hot springs, not knowing that Sylph was planning to tell Yuno all about it once this was all over.

On the boys’ side, things were extremely tense as Leo and Yuno had another staring contest, growling at each other. The two had been trading nasty remarks since the moment they dipped into the pool. It was when Captain Yami proposed that they surpass their limits as men and peek at the girls’ side that Leo and Yuno got along, both having the same naked, grey-haired beauty in mind. They attempted to scale the wall only to be knocked off by a faint-grey lightsword from Asta’s demon light magic, having already started his mana zone lessons with Mereleona. The boys were forced to relax after that because Asta then casted his **Demon Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction** to hover over their side, ready to kill them if they even so much as glanced in the girls’ and Asta’s general direction. Yami just stuck to making fun of all the guys, mocking them for not being able to surpass their limits.

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_The same night when the two went to the hot springs_

The journey back had been a faster one since Asta was (internally) excited to give Leo his “extra, special prize”. After working tirelessly on the side, Asta had finally been able to control the speed at which his **Demon Light Magic: Apollo’s Arrow** went, allowing him to take himself and the group back to the Royal Capital without experiencing any whiplash...though, some people (Thomas, Noelle, and Sol) had still vomited when they had arrived. After Asta had given Yuno one last hug to remind the raven-haired boy that he loved him, Asta and Leo had made their way to the Vermillion Estate where Leo dragged Asta to their room.

The moment the door closed, Leo captured Asta in a deep, passionate kiss and slammed him onto the door, earning him a groan from Asta. As their lips parted for breath, Leo leaned his forehead on Asta’s, ghosting his lips over his. He demanded darkly, in a deep voice, “Tell me, baby. What’s my ‘extra, special prize’ now that I held up my end.”

Asta shivered at the deep voice. His heart was about ready to jump out of his chest as he moaned when he felt Leo bite his neck while rubbing his knee between Asta’s thighs. It was these moments that made Asta melt, losing all focus as he yearned for Leo to just devour him. But he promised himself that tonight would be for Leo. Asta would get his fair share since he didn’t plan to let Leo go anytime soon. “L-Lay o-on the bed f-for me, p-please,” he stuttered.

It made Leo’s ego grow in knowing that only he could make a strong-willed Magic Knight break so easily. He unbuttoned Asta’s jacket and slid his hand up Asta’s shirt and pinched a nipple, earning him a whine. “Lay on the bed for me what?” he whispered into Asta’s ear.

Damn him and his ways. Asta gulped and whined as Leo flicked his already sensitive nipple. “L-Lay on the bed for me, please, daddy.” He heard Leo hum in approval and as if he hadn’t just ravished Asta, he stopped what he was doing and casually made his way to their bed, taking off his cape and tossing it over to the couch while slipping out of his shoes. It was when he started removing his white tunic that Asta said shakily, “P-Please, keep your clothes on.”

Leo turned back at Asta, who was checking him out, and arched his eyebrow. “Oh? What do you have in that dirty mind of yours, Asta?” he asked curiously. Suddenly, Asta walk-ran to close the distance and plant a quick kiss on his lips before pushing him down roughly onto the bed. He closed his eyes, expecting Asta to jump on top of him...but his eyes shot open when he felt his pants being removed. He lifted his head up to see viridian-colored eyes looking hungrily at the hardening member that was covered by his underwear. “Asta?” he asked half-curious, half-concerned. This was new in their book.

Asta didn’t acknowledge his name being called. He pulled Leo’s underwear down, getting smacked in the face by Leo’s intimidatingly large cock. Asta eyed the throbbing member, gulping as he tried to determine if it would actually fit in his mouth. _Well, there’s only one way to find out_ , he thought. He ignored Leo calling his name as he took the head of Leo’s cock into his mouth, already tasting the salty pre-cum that was oozing out of it.

Leo’s breath hitched at the sudden feeling of wet heat around his tip. Asta was giving him a blowjob? Does he even know how to do that? Since they had first started doing it, only Leo had given blowjobs, assuming that Asta couldn’t take him into his mouth since he already struggled to take him from behind. As if Asta were reading his mind, Leo choked as he felt his entire length being engulfed into Asta’s mouth and down his throat. “Shit,” he grunted, pulling Asta’s hair to bring him back up and sitting up. He knew that Asta liked playing rough, so he didn’t bother asking if he was ok when he yanked Asta’s hair to make him look up at him. “How the hell did you just fucking deepthroat me?” he asked. Then, he added, “Do you even know what a goddamn gag reflex is?”

Asta licked the underside of his length and gave Leo’s saliva-coated member a couple of pumps, earning him a groan of approval. “What’s that?” he asked breathily, giving Leo an evil grin, making him shudder. In truth, Asta had been wanting to give Leo a blowjob since the first time around, but he thought he was still inexperienced. So, he would pay attention as much as he could whenever Leo did it since he assumed that Leo was doing what he would’ve wanted someone to do had someone gone down on him. After that, Asta, though he would never admit it, practiced with bananas of increasing length, ending with the longest banana he could find so that it would somewhat resemble Leo’s length. That was when he discovered that he had no gag reflex or if he did have one, it was barely there. To prove his point again, Asta flicked his tongue on Leo’s frenulum and dipped his tongue into the slit of his head, making Leo’s body jerk violently. This only invited Asta to do more, swallowing around only his head and swirling his tongue around it. He used one hand to cup Leo’s balls and begin massaging them while using the other to stroke his dick.

_Someone’s been paying attention_ , Leo thought. “Fuck yeah, baby,” he groaned loudly when Asta started bobbing his head while working his hands on his balls and the base of his cock. He had had only one other guy go down on him, but he sucked, and not in the literal sense. As Asta started taking more of him in, Leo could only vaguely recall the other guy nearly biting his dick off. He was snapped out of his memories when he felt the tip of his dick in the back of Asta’s throat--Asta had just effortlessly deepthroated him again. “Goddamn, baby. Do that again,” he hissed. 

Asta did as he was told and made his way off, gently scraping Leo’s dick with his teeth as he went up, earning him a growl that made him shudder. That growl was going to be the death of him. He made his way back down slowly. Once Leo was fully in him again, he hummed, knowing what the feeling of the vibrations could do. On cue, Leo grabbed a fistful of his hair with both hands, making Asta groan in a mix of pain and pleasure.

“Holy shit,” Leo grunted breathily as the vibrations that came from Asta’s throat radiated through Leo’s body, making him buck his hips forward. He looked down to see viridian-colored eyes looking at him pleadingly as Asta rested his hands on Leo’s hips. Leo gulped...he never thought he’d see the same sex monster he had witnessed that first night, but there he was--asking him to fuck him senseless again. Leo nodded, giving Asta the go-ahead. With that, they flipped positions quickly with Asta laying on the bed and hanging his head over the edge of the bed, mouth wide open, and Leo standing, cock positioned at Asta’s mouth. Could he really do this? Asta answered for him as Leo felt Asta’s tongue flick at his tip teasingly. Instinctively, Leo thrusted his hips forward at the feeling, making Asta swallow part of his cock. Leo was still hesitant because he had never done this with anyone. Again, Asta urged him, grabbing Leo’s ass and pushing more of Leo into him. “Fuck,” Leo hissed. He leaned over Asta, resting his hands on the bed. He pulled out and thrusted into Asta slowly only to have Asta hum in retaliation, making Leo growl and slam his entire length into Asta, earning him a groan. _You’re killing me, Asta_ , he thought. He started fucking Asta’s mouth at a slow, steady rhythm. The accompanying groans only served to make Leo hasten his pace, making him drunk for the hazy feeling that came from the frissons he felt continuously shoot up his back.

Leo was close, and Asta could feel it. He was getting a little light-headed from the position and his jaw had gone numb, but he had gotten this far, so he was going to see it through to the end. He could hear Leo’s breathing get heavier and feel Leo’s thrust become more erratic--telltale signs. So, Asta braced himself, clutching the bed sheets as Leo slammed into him one last time. Leo kept himself fully sheathed inside Asta’s mouth as Asta felt squirt after squirt of hot seed make its way down his throat. Asta could only lie still as Leo rode out his orgasm. What Asta didn’t expect was for Leo to collapse on top of him, dick still in Asta’s mouth. _Did I kill him?_ Asta wondered. He felt Leo hum as Asta removed his dick from his mouth, confirming that Asta did not, in fact, commit involuntary manslaughter. 

Satisfied with his work, Asta went to the bathroom to clean himself up and slipped himself and Leo into their nightwear. When Asta lied on his side of the bed, draping the blanket over himself and Leo, it was Leo, this time, to cuddle up to Asta. Asta smiled at himself, ego inflating at the thought of having broken Leo again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you didn't expect two in a row. I figured it would only be fair since you've been patient enough to read the non-smut chapters.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm...
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_The evening before the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam_

Over the course of the week, the Magic Knights that were planning to take the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam had been given patrol assignments over actual missions. For some, it had been a welcoming change from the hectic and life-threatening missions that they would typically be assigned. For people like Asta and Yuno, it had been the worst thing ever because they would always be bored and complain about how their adventure-filled lives had become mundane. But the two foster-brothers always made sure to occupy their time with more training, the chance to beat the other in the upcoming exam fueling their motivation. 

The two would train relentlessly with their respective captains. Their respective captains, in turn, were amazed by their respective subordinates’ progress. By the end of the week, the two had been able to become proficient with mana zone and were psyched to show it to the other when the time came. Both foster-brothers thought they were chasing the other, believing that the other was always ahead...but how they viewed it was completely different: Asta always thought that Yuno was more powerful than him, so as his rival, it only made sense to play catch-up in their friendly competition, loving every second of it; Yuno always thought that Asta was more powerful than him--that Asta never viewed him as his rival just like he never viewed him as the man he loved, hating every second of it.

Leo and Finral were caught in between the foster-brothers’ heated competition. Leo would always offer himself as an extra opponent whenever Mereleona had to do her other duties as a captain, but it would usually end up in Asta being more pumped for the upcoming exam, resulting in much of the Crimson Lion Kings ganging up on Asta only to be beaten. Nevertheless, Asta’s squadmates always valued his input after each sparring session, pumping themselves up more to take the exam or become stronger in general. Leo never liked it when Asta was smug with him, so he always made sure to let Asta know who was the daddy in the relationship after a particularly painful sparring session. 

Finral would always offer a comforting hand whenever Yuno’s anger got out of control. Yuno would never show it when he was in front of his Golden Dawn members, but Finral could see the subtle clues behind Yuno’s aloof expression--closing his eyes to make it look like he was thinking something, tensing his jaw, tilting his head slowly before returning it in its neutral position, ears perking up, and/or his eye twitching ever so slightly. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Yuno had cut him off since the announcement of the exam, but Finral wouldn’t push him despite the nagging feeling that kept telling him that he should. _I’m not his boyfriend. Just his best friend. I’m not in the position to keep prying more than I do already_ , he would always remind himself when Yuno wouldn’t want to cuddle even if he wouldn’t allow Finral to go sleep at the Black Bulls’ headquarters. The silence between them had grown cold and tense--the complete opposite of how it had been prior to the announcement of the exam.

So, Finral had decided to surprise Yuno with a new haircut that had green highlights at the tips since Yuno liked green on Finral. Yuno had definitely been surprised by the new style, if the light blush or squirming whenever he looked at Finral had told him anything. But Finral wouldn’t be able to repress his thoughts about the Royal Knights’ Exam any longer. Usually, Yuno and Finral never had problems with sharing each other’s feelings but obviously, that hadn’t been the case this time around. The thoughts swarming in Finral’s mind had to do with his little brother, Langris. Before Yuno, Finral would confide in Asta about what he felt and wanted to do about his little brother. So, without Yuno to talk to about his predicament, he decided to pay a visit to Asta, letting Yuno know that he wouldn’t be long. Before he stepped through the portal, he had caught a glimpse of an actual emotion from Yuno--he was apprehensive. _It’s probably just because of the exam or Asta_ , Finral told himself.

As he stepped through the other side, he should’ve expected Asta and Leo having sex...again. It became their nightly routine, and everyone (and Finral meant _everyone_ ) knew how...vocal the two were during it. At this point, Finral was just content that Asta had finally found a man that he could trust to give his body to him; he was also pleased by the fact that Leo had kept his promise, waiting patiently for Asta, and not once did he ever hear of Leo cheating on Asta--it seemed like a match made in heaven. _If only Yuno and I were like that_ , Finral thought, shaking his head to dismiss the gloomy thought. Anyways, Asta had been screaming profanities mixed with Leo’s name and pet name while Leo was growling and fucking him wantonly. The two paused in their heated passion as they turned to Finral, who had the audacity to look at the two smugly.

Leo growled at Finral. “Can’t you see we’re busy, Finral?” he asked nonchalantly. He then thrusted into Asta to prove his point, earning him a whimper.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Finral snorted, averting his gaze at the sight of Asta’s eyes that were half-intoxicated with lust and half-embarrassed. Finral added, “I need to talk to Asta about personal matters, so you can just leave.” He motioned for Leo to leave the room, earning him a growl in protest.

Asta received the brunt of Leo’s annoyance as Leo slammed into him again, making him groan in pleasure. Asta willed his lust to leave him as he pulled Leo into a quick, sloppy kiss before whispering breathily, “If you behave, I’ll give the extra, special prize later when Big Bro Finral leaves.” To make it more enticing, Asta added, “Please, daddy.” He licked the inside of Leo’s ear for good measure.

Leo shuddered and returned Asta’s kiss. “Don’t regret losing your voice after tonight, baby,” he half-whispered, ignoring Finral, who cleared his throat after hearing the line. With that, he pulled out of Asta slowly, not minding the choking noise that Finral made, and put his clothes back on hastily to go out to the backyard and play with Nala.

Once Leo left, Asta grabbed one of Leo’s bathrobes from the walk-in closet, also not minding the choking noise that Finral made at the sight of the red marks on Asta’s ass or the numerous hickies scattered throughout his body. After he fixed himself up to look somewhat presentable, he went to the couch and motioned for Finral to come over.

Finral, who was trying to process everything that he had just witnessed, made his way to the couch and laid his head on Asta’s lap. He hummed quietly as Asta began to stroke his hair. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Finral asked, “How does that fit in you?”

“I have no idea, but I’m glad it does,” Asta answered calmly. He chuckled lightly when Finral made another choking noise. “Anyways, Big Bro, what brings you here? Is it about Langris again?” He guessed that was the case if Finral referred to his half-brother as a “personal matter”. He inwardly reprimanded Yuno for not taking care of Finral. _If these two would just admit that they loved each other already_ , Asta thought. Like how it was with him and Leo, people knew that both men loved each other as much as Asta and Leo loved each other. It just pissed off everyone, including Asta, that Yuno was in denial about his feelings, claiming that he only loved Asta (secretly, of course, because Yuno still hadn’t admitted his feelings for Asta). It pissed off Asta even more with the fact that Finral was allowing things to drag out as long as they were.

“You got that right, kiddo,” Finral sighed, thankful that despite not being together that much any longer, he and Asta’s brotherly bond had never wavered. Asta made a noise that, according to their made-up language, meant “Just tell me everything and I’ll listen”. Finral took in a deep breath and let all his thoughts out. “I’m just nervous and afraid, kiddo. I don’t know if I can keep the promise I had made to him that I’ll prove to him that I’m worthy of being his big brother and regain the title of heir to the House Vaude. I don’t know, kiddo. I really don’t know if I can do this exam.” He and Langris had run into each other a couple of days earlier when the Black Bulls were called to support the Golden Dawn in Kiten after some Diamond soldiers were trying to invade the border city. Yuno had defended Finral’s remarks, calling him valiant and more worthy of being a vice-captain than Langris. That day, before Finral left, he had seen something snap in his little brother, making Finral silently regret what he had said.

“It’s alright to be nervous and afraid, Big Bro. We all are,” Asta assured him. Asta was more afraid than nervous as well for the upcoming fight between him and Yuno, but he had been working on setting aside most of his emotions for the sake of victory because he knew that Yuno would do the same. “It’s important to know that you’re proving yourself that you’re worthy of everything you just said more than you’re proving Langris. It’s gonna be nerve-racking, but I know you can do it because you’ve got a kind heart, and that’s the tool you’ll need when the moment arrives.”

Finral smiled softly at the words of encouragement. _Asta always did have a way with words_ , he thought. As he let Asta’s words repeat in his head, he could feel his body relaxing...but not at the thought of possibly winning back Langris. No, his body relaxed at the thought of everything being ok even if Langris didn’t want to accept him because he already had the greatest little brother anyone could ask for in Asta. Still, as his mind drifted off to his dreams, he could hear Asta’s voice ringing in his head, _Don’t give up on your little brother! Don’t give up on anyone, Big Bro! You’ve got this!_

As Asta stroked Finral’s hair softly, he jolted slightly as Leo barged in, already in his underwear. He sent Asta the silent message, _Can I get my extra, special prize now?_ Asta shot him a death glare, which was an immediate turn off, as he tilted his head to show Finral’s sleeping form. Leo begged Asta, but Asta wouldn’t relent, ordering him to clean up and go to bed because they had a big day tomorrow. That night, Leo sulked, being forced to sleep in bed alone, complaining about his and Asta’s interrupted sex while Asta adjusted his postion on the couch with Finral asleep in his lap. That night, though, none of the three knew that another heart ached as cracks began to form in the corners. The heart felt lonely and hollow, missing something that its owner didn’t know who or what it was. The owner of that heart was haunted by nightmares that a certain dirty-blonde had always been able to keep away.

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Royal Knights’ Battle Stage_

_Day of the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam, late-afternoon_

As the day of the exam had arrived, the examinees had made their way into the Coliseum of Champions only to be informed by the Wizard King that it would not be a one-on-one battle like it had been in the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam. He had claimed that one of the points of the exam was to determine who could work in a team that included a mix of people from every squad, so that was why the exam would be a three-on-three tournament with each team consisting of people from different squads. He had made sure to remind the contestants that the outcome of each battle would not determine whether they would be removed from the pool when the time came to determine who would be accepted into the elite squad.

Asta had inwardly thanked Mereleona for the heads-up even if it was more of an implication than outright information. When the Wizard King had announced the teams, Asta had discovered that he was in a group with Mimosa and a spiky-haired redhead named Xerx Lugner, who looked oddly familiar; Yuno, who had continuously ignored Finral’s approaches just to be petty because he hadn’t kept his promise that he would come back the night before, was in a group with Noelle and a soft-spoken En Ringard; Leo, who had made sure to get his “extra, special prize” before he, Asta, and some other Crimson Lion Kings left for the exam, was in a group with Hamon and Finral, who had the misfortune to have accidentally walked in on Leo getting his “extra, special prize”, making the already awkward atmosphere between them even more awkward. With that, the other Magic Knights had met up with their teammates, and they were all teleported to the battle stage.

The first match of the day had been between Asta’s team and Rick Cornell, Forte Gris, and Curtis Warren. Asta had decided to hold back, playing support while he observed his team’s strengths and weaknesses. He had noticed that Xerx was lazy but sensed his magic scattered around the battlefield. So, Asta had decided to test it out and “accidentally” got himself stuck in Xerx’s trap magic. (Ok, he actually did get himself stuck, but he would never admit it and had played it off coolly). The match hahdd ended with Asta’s team victorious and the other team baffled at Xerx’s different magic that they had never witnessed.

As the matches continued, the atmosphere between Yuno and Asta had become more tense with both foster-brothers throwing witty comebacks at the other's snide remarks. It had been competitive banter between the two (even if Yuno had meant his more as an insult than a teasing remark) that had made everyone around them uncomfortable. Asta had cheered on Leo as his team came out victorious, giving him a victory kiss in front of everybody while also sneaking in his own threat of crushing him and his teammates, which had made Leo and everyone else worried for Leo and his team. Finral had cheered on Yuno as his team came out victorious, giving him a victory hug in front of everybody, who rolled their eyes when both men were blushing at the contact, making Yuno wave Finral off because he wanted to be petty again. 

Leo had cheered on Asta as his team came out victorious once more, claiming that he would get his victory sex after the exam, which made everyone roll their eyes at the thought of having another sleepless night in the Royal Capital. Asta had given Magna a show, entertaining his former squadmate as they battled with Asta using his Black Asta form, but Asta and his team had ultimately won. 

Yuno had secretly cheered on Finral as his team set out to go against Langris and his team. A small smile would make its way onto his face at the sight of Finral cancelling out his half-brother’s offensive spatial magic while simultaneously teleporting Sekke away from the battlefield. That had been when things took on a turn for the worst as a dark presence took over Langris’s body in the attempt to kill his older brother. Yuno couldn’t ignore the sharp pain in his chest when he had seen Finral’s fatally wounded body sprawled out in front of his vice-captain, who was preparing to end his suffering once and for all. He hadn’t been able to move from his spot, frozen in fear, prompting Asta and the Black Bulls to take action. In a split-second, Langris had been restrained by Asta’s **Demon Light Magic: Bright Judgement Whip** while Asta, Magna, and Luck had threatened to erase him from the earth if he made a single move. That had been when the Wizard King intervened, permitting Asta and Langris’s team to battle as long as both had promised not to kill each other. With that, the Wizard King had brought the two teams to their respective sides and sent Finral to the infirmary to be healed by Dr. Owen.

Everyone had witnessed a glimpse of Asta’s true power when the battle had ended seconds after it had begun. Asta had had Xerx and Mimosa guard their crystal, covering it with Xerx’s trap magic to reflect any spells that would try to destroy it. With that, Asta had burst out the gates, using only his Black Asta form. He had dodged and weaved around Langris’s spatial magic, reflecting any that he couldn’t dodge with his Demon-Slayer Sword. He had slammed Langris into their crystal, breaking it in the process, with his **Black Meteorite** attack, knocking out Langris and securing his team’s victory. He had looked up at a frowning Yuno, sending him the message, _See you at the finals, Big Bro_.

That was where they were now. It was late-afternoon by the time the final match had rolled around. The Wizard King, wanting to see the two foster-brothers go all-out, convinced the Clover King to disqualify Rill and his team under the explanation that Rill was a captain. He had made sure to remind them that although they were disqualified from the tournament, they wouldn’t be disqualified when the time came to choose the members of the Royal Knights.

As the final match began, Asta told an exhausted Xerx and Mimosa to stand guarding their crystal again. Yuno, on the other hand, told his teammates to take on Mimosa and Xerx because Asta was his and his alone. With that, the teams set their plans in motion. The two foster-brothers met in the middle of the battlefield where everyone could see them out in the open. The two made no moves and seemed to be having a silent conversation with each other.

“Why aren’t those two peasants making a move? Have they run out of mana?” asked King Augustus condescendingly. It was just what he expected from two peasants from the boonies, trying to become Royal Knights under his command.

“Quite the contrary, Your Highness,” Julius corrected in an amused tone. The king made a noise that told the Wizard King to go on. “The two are waiting for their teammates.”

“And why is that, Julius?” asked the king, now a little more intrigued.

“They want them to eliminate each other,” Julius answered plainly. He heard the king gasp in surprise. “The two don’t want anyone standing in their way when the real fight begins.” This got everyone else around him to gasp as well, asking each other if what the Wizard King said was true. He cleared his throat to warn everyone to pay attention to the battlefield where Noelle and En had just knocked out Mimosa and Xerx without much of a fight. The two were about to destroy Asta’s team’s crystal when four giant, faint-grey lightswords slammed into the ground and surrounded the crystal, knocking out Noelle and En in the process. The spectators’ eyes widened at the sight, stunned at the fact that Asta could generate his magic from a far distance. _It looks like Asta-kun learned mana zone_ , thought Julius.

Yuno was shocked as well even though his face didn’t show it. “You thought the same thing I was thinking, weren’t you, Asta?”

Asta grinned and confirmed, “Great minds think alike, don’t they, Big Bro Yuno?”

Yuno cringed at being called “Big Bro” again--a painful reminder of why the title hadn’t changed. Without removing his eyes from Asta’s, who were blazing with determination, Yuno ordered, “Sylph, we’re going all-out this time.”

“Of course, Yuno. Anything for you!” Sylph replied gleefully. With that, she allowed her mana to assimilate with Yuno’s. “It feels so good to be one with Yuno,” she commented as she disappeared with her mana being absorbed into Yuno’s body.

Yuno closed his eyes to focus all his attention on the spell. His left arm began to turn green as he sprouted a green fairy’s wing from the left side of his back. A green half-crown of connected crosses formed on the left side of his head while a green circle of connected crosses appeared to surround his wrist. He opened his eyes to gaze at Asta, who hadn’t made a single move while he stood there, smirking at him. For once, Yuno grinned and recited the spell to completion, “ **Spirit Assimilation: Spirit Dive**.” He was thankful that Sylph had told him about Mereleona and Asta’s conversation at the hot springs a week earlier because it had confirmed his suspicions that what he had felt when he had casted his mana skin had been, in fact, a dummy version of mana zone. He had wasted no time in asking Captain William to train him into mastering it. The results of the training had been that he could now assimilate Sylph’s mana with his own to control her power thereby increasing his own. “Are you ready, Asta?”

“I’ve been ready, Big Bro,” Asta snorted, maintaining a calm demeanor. However, inside, he was freaking out. _Oh shit. Look at you go, Yuno! I’m so fucking proud of y- No. Asta calm down...calm down...you’re fighting him...You have to win_ , Asta thought. Asta opened his grimoire, flipping to a particular page that he hadn’t visited in a while. He flared up his mana and pointed the hand that was not holding his pitch-black shortsword to the sky, earning him a gasp from Yuno and all the spectators that had seen the same hand motion last year.

_Shit, he isn’t going to use_ that _spell is he?_ Yuno wondered.

Asta could feel his body weakening as more and more mana left him. Reading Yuno’s mind, Asta said, “Yes, Yuno, it is _that_ spell. **Demon Light Magic: Mana Zone: Archangel’s Sword of Divine Retribution**.” With that, the earth rumbled beneath the battlefield, causing some people to stagger on their feet, as the sky above the battlefield darkened. Soon after, a gigantic, faint-grey lightsword made its appearance from the clouds...but it wasn’t hovering above Yuno. To everyone’s astonishment, Asta had the lightsword hovering above Yuno’s crystal, which had sat unprotected after Yuno had ordered his teammates to go after Asta’s teammates.

Yuno was panicking inwardly. He needed to end this battle now before Asta finished infusing his mana into the lightsword. But he couldn’t just attack Asta blindly because the grey-haired Magic Knight was expecting it. He pointed his green palm at Asta and shouted, “ **Wind Spirit Magic: Mana Zone: Spirit Storm**!” With that, he concentrated his green beam of wind magic to generate and attack Asta from behind, seeming to catch Asta off-guard.

Asta couldn’t lose focus now. He had invested too much of his mana into two mana zone spells, expecting that Yuno was going to go for his crystal like he was going to do. He could feel the large concentration of wind magic getting closer...but just when he thought that he was going to lose, Amon spoke in his mind, **_Let me help you, kid. Give me your other hand_**. He nodded and with that, he allowed Amon to take control of the hand that was holding his pitch-black shortsword. While Asta focused the last amount of mana required for the spell, Amon took care of Yuno’s blindside attack, pointing the tip of the shortsword at the incoming green beam. What happened next shocked everyone on the battlefield: the sword absorbed the beam as if it was nothing. For Asta, though, it felt heavier. It got heavier when Yuno tried to fire the same spell again only to have it absorbed by the sword.

Asta felt his body giving up on him, so in a swift motion, he chopped his hand down, directing the gigantic lightsword in the sky to slice Yuno’s crystal in half as he absorbed the last of Yuno’s attack with the sword. He smiled at Yuno and proclaimed, “I win.” A second later, he could only see black.

The event that unfolded was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence: Asta collapsed from mana exhaustion at the same time that the crystal was split in two. Yuno couldn’t believe what just happened. He tuned out everything as he allowed himself to drown in his dark thoughts, clenching his fists tightly. _You’re a pathetic failure, Yuno. Give up. Asta will always be stronger_ , rang the voice of Captain William in his head among the other voices. _Stop it, I have to help Asta!_ Yuno fired back. But the voices in his head overpowered him, continuously saying, _Failure. You were never his rival. He will always win. Failure! Failure! Failure!_

A hooded mage that was proctoring the match gulped, awestruck by everything that he had just witnessed. He shouted in a shaky breath, “T-The match h-has ended in a tie! T-Team M’s crystal was destroyed at the same time that Team B’s members were eliminated!” With that, everyone rushed to the scene as Leo picked up Asta bridal style and flew straight for the infirmary. Sylph was trying to wake Yuno up from his trance, but failed. So, Mimosa and Klaus dragged him as they, the Black Bulls, and members of the Crimson Lion Kings made their way to the infirmary.

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Day of the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam, evening_

_Asta’s Mind_

_What the hell was that, Amon!?_ Asta squeaked at his demon friend that was rolling over laughing. _What the hell’s so funny, you damn demon prince!?_ He had seen everything unfold after he had lost consciousness, including the declaration that the match had been a tie. That hadn’t bothered Asta since he knew that he and Yuno would always be neck-and-neck, but what was bothering him was the fact that he didn’t know _why_ his body had given out. Asta pinched the bridge of his nose and asked calmly, _Did you trick me again, Amon?_

Amon wiped the last of his bloody tears from his eyes. He took a moment to catch his breath, light chuckles still escaping him. **_Well, yes and no, kid. I’m the incarnation of mi_ **-” he started before Asta cut him off.

_Incarnation of mischief. Yeah, yeah, yeah_ , Asta interrupted, waving him off. He knew Amon would pull something like this. Yes, the demon prince was the incarnation of mischief, among other things, but he was more mischief than anything. Asta would always find it amusing because Amon looked like he was having fun messing with Asta, which he never usually minded. But this time, it was a low-blow. He pinched the bridge of his nose again as he felt his anger boiling. _Just...explain to me how this happened, please_ , he sighed.

Amon sighed in amusement, the last of his laughing fit going away. **_Alright, kid. It’s pretty simple. You know how my anti-magic can react violently with your mana?_ ** He saw Asta nod. **_Well, the moment you allowed me to take control of your hand and absorb Yuno’s attack, our powers had actually synchronized perfectly. The effect of this was great but I knew you could handle it. But the toll it had on your body was greater mainly because the effect was tripled due to a certain grey-haired idiot_ ** , he looked down at Asta, who was grinning sheepishly, **_deciding that it would be “cool” to use their Black Asta form twice when we had established that that was our daily limit. Let me remind you again, kid, that, in essence, you have three magical attributes--sword, demon light, and anti-magic. You can use sword and demon light simultaneously with enough concentration, but if you use anti-magic, you can’t use sword or demon light with it. But again..._ ** **somebody** **_just had to overdo it._ ** He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

_Yeah...sorry about that_ , Asta chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He and Amon had established that fact, but Asta supposed that he had gotten too caught up in the moment that he had forgotten his body’s current limits. Then, he remembered the pitch-black shortsword that was apparently Amon’s property (well, his and Amon’s property since the demon just possessed his grimoire). _So...are you gonna tell me what’s the name of that sword you just used to absorb Yuno’s attack?_

Amon yawned, feeling the effects of his and Asta’s perfect synchronization coming over him. **_Demon-Dweller Sword, kid_ **, he answered while rubbing his eyes.

Asta squealed at another cool name. But then he scoffed, _I can’t believe you’re going to sleep again, Amon_. He crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks in a pout.

**_And who’s fault was that?_ **Amon snapped back as he rested his head on his forearm, falling into a deep slumber.

_Right…_ Asta chuckled awkwardly again.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and the storm rears its ugly head.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyself

_ Royal Capital _

_ Day of the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam, evening _

_ The Infirmary - Asta’s Recovery Room _

The ride to the infirmary had been unnecessarily rough. Leo had been barking orders at everyone that had accompanied him, telling them to hurry up because Asta was dying or slow down because Asta might have gotten hurt. No one had paid any mind to Asta’s distressed boyfriend, rolling their eyes everytime he made a gloomy remark of not losing Asta again. When they had arrived at the infirmary, Leo, like at Nean, had bulldozed anybody that had stood in his way. Mereleona had probably been the only one that had been able to calm Leo down...by smacking across the face to send him flying into the next room, chiding him for being noisy and overdramatic. As everyone (except Leo) had suspected, Asta had just been suffering from mana exhaustion, but he had been quick to recover thanks to Mereleona and Dr. Owen’s healing magic. 

Asta was beginning to wake up as he mumbled incoherently, making everyone in the room instantly end their side conversations and turn their heads to the stirring form. Leo, who was sitting at the bedside and stroking Asta’s knuckles, jumped up from his seat, shaking Asta awake from his peaceful slumber. “Asta! Love! You’re alive! It’s Leo. Can you hear me?” he shouted.

“...ud...mat...end...ve,” Asta mumbled, which only caused Leo to shout even louder, asking him what he was trying to say.  _ Well there goes sleep _ , Asta thought. His eyes shot open and glared at Leo. “I said: you’re such a loud, melodramatic boyfriend, love,” he snarled, making the entire room erupt in laughter and Leo blush in embarrassment. Asta sat up with Leo and Marisol’s help. He looked around and noticed that the small room was overcrowded with his friends and colleagues, who were happily grinning at him.

“I’m so happy you’re ok, Asta!” Mimosa exclaimed.

“I...second that motion,” Klaus commented as he cleared his throat and adjusted his frames. Thank goodness for the large group of people because it was able to make him self-conscious about his reaction (he had wanted to tackle Asta in a hug and check if he had any injuries). 

Everyone else chimed in, letting Asta know that there were so many people worried for his well-being. It honestly made Asta’s heart fill with joy, but he was looking around for a certain raven-haired, golden-eyed wind mage. Magna was the first one to point out that Asta seemed like he was looking for someone. “Yeah, I’m looking for Yuno. Has anybody seen him?” That was when the large crowd huddled around Asta’s bed parted to reveal Yuno, who was leaning against the wall near the door. Asta, like Leo earlier, waved at his foster-brother and shouted, “Hi, Big Bro Yuno! I can’t believe the battle we had earlier! You were freaking awesome and stronger than I thought!”

Yuno cringed as he heard Asta call him “Big Bro Yuno”. He tensed his jaw when he heard Asta call him “awesome” and “strong”. Yuno had been battling his thoughts as he had quietly followed the group of Magic Knights that had been rushing Asta to the infirmary. If only Finral were there, then his thoughts wouldn’t consume him like they were doing right now. Yuno didn’t answer Asta back. He hung his head low and clenched his fists to force his trembling hands to stop. He was getting angrier as he tried to fight the thoughts.  _ Lies--they’re all lies. He never thought you were strong. There’s nothing awesome about you. He’s lying to you, Yuno. Lies. Lies. _

Asta was a little confused by Yuno’s lack of a response because he would normally say something that would poke the competitive beast that was sleeping inside of him. He didn’t pay any mind to him as he continued, “But that’s just what I’d expect from someone like you! Because after all, you’re my rival! But like hell I’m gonna let you get ahead of me, you handsome idiot! This match may have been a tie, but I’ll still be the one to become Wizard King!” He didn’t get any response, so he asked in a normal voice, “Yuno, are yo-”

“Shut up,” Yuno muttered under his breath, cutting Asta off. He was seething now, and the people near him could sense it, taking a step away from Yuno’s shaking form. Every single word that Asta said was countered by the voices in his head.  _ He’s right! He’ll become the Wizard King because you’re weak! You’re a pathetic excuse for a royal! Even a peasant won’t acknowledge you as his rival because you’re so weak! He’s stronger than you in all aspects...that’s why he lies to you...that’s why you’ll never be his equal...that’s why he’ll never love you! _

Asta could sense Yuno’s rage, but he didn’t know why he was like that. So, Asta asked gently, “Yuno, ar-”

Something in Yuno snapped at the sound of Asta’s concerned voice. “I SAID SHUT UP!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, snapping his head up and glaring at Asta, making everyone in the room flinch. He was livid, and he didn’t know what to do other than to voice his ire. He saw Asta begin to open his mouth to speak, but Yuno beat him to it. “No! For once, you’re gonna fucking listen to me,  _ Asta _ !” he growled with all as much venom in his voice as he could find, making Asta wince. He slapped Mimosa’s hand away as she went to try to calm him. The room grew chillingly quiet as they waited for Yuno to speak, but Yuno didn’t care because his vision narrowed and all he could see was Asta. “For all my goddamn life, I’ve been chasing you...trying to stick by your side at every turn...because you protected me. You were my hero, Asta...and I...I wanted to pay you back and protect you with my life. But life’s a bitch, isn’t it? Because  _ that _ happened to you.” He paused when he heard Noelle ask quietly what “that” was, causing Yuno to chuckle maniacally. “I can’t believe it, Asta. I can’t believe you haven’t told them yet about what happened to you!”

“Y-Yuno...p-please,” Asta begged quietly. 

Leo knew what Asta was thinking, so he pulled Asta close as he growled venomously at Yuno. “Don’t you fucking dare, Yuno, if you know what’s good for you,” he warned.

The threat only served to make Yuno laugh crazily even more. “No, Leo...I think I’ll dare because Asta’s too  _ weak _ and  _ pathetic _ to admit it himself,” he hissed, causing the grey-haired boy to whimper. Yuno ignored him and shouted so that the patients next door could hear him, “Listen up, everybody, because I’m only gonna say this once...and I want  _ everyone _ to hear. When Asta and I were fifteen, we were ambushed by an ex-Magic Knight from the Purple Orcas, Revchi Salik, because he wanted to take our four-leaf grimoires and sell them at a high price...Oh, but wait, there’s more...after Revchi took my grimoire, he tried to take Asta’s...but can anyone guess what happened next?” He placed a hand at his ear to listen for anyone who wanted to answer his rhetorical question. He heard nothing, so he continued with a diabolic grin, “No one knows? Fine, I’ll tell you...Asta was raped! Did everyone hear that? Asta. Was.  _ Raped! _ And not only that because here’s where things get good...Asta got pregnant because he has a rare illness called Edumund’s syndrome...but does anybody wanna guess what happened next?” He paused again for dramatic effect, getting the same tense silence as he had expected. “No one wants to guess, huh? Ok, I guess I have the  _ pleasure _ of informing you that Asta had a miscarriage! Can anyone believe that? This  _ bitch _ , this  _ used toy _ , had a miscarriage!” He glared at Asta, who shrank lower into the bed sheets. He pointed his index finger at him before he shouted what his bottled-up insanity had been wanting to say for months now, allowing it to take control of his body, “Well, you know what, Asta? I wish that it would happen to you again! I wish that you were raped and had another miscarriage so that...so that...so that I don’t feel so fucking  _ useless _ ! But I guess that won’t happen, and you know why? Because it’s over, Asta! We were  _ never _ rivals because you were always ahead...and I know you wanted to just use me to keep yourself grounded...but I’m not gonna have it! Do you hear me, Asta? This is me giving up on you! This is me letting you go! This is me leaving you! This is me telling you that I don’t give a fuck if you soar to the top and become the stupid Wizard King...because...because I’m  _ royalty _ ...I’m Prince Yuno Grinberryall of the Spade Kingdom, heir to the throne! So I don’t need to be in the company of a  _ filthy...weak..dim-witted...violated peasant _ like you!” With that, Yuno ended his repulsive catharsis, catching his breath. He never thought that voicing his maddening thoughts could be so  _ liberating _ . 

After a couple of seconds, everything that he had just divulged caught up to him. His heart ached as he sensed...or didn’t sense Asta’s mana anymore. He snapped his head up to see multiple pairs of murderous eyes glaring at him, making him shiver to his very core, but he paid no mind to it. He searched frantically for a pair of viridian-colored eyes. Once he found them, he immediately regretted ever searching for them. He had never seen eyes so pained, so devastated, so wronged and yet...so empty, devoid of any and all emotion as they stared wide-eyed at him. Asta’s eyes and body were in complete contradiction with each other--while his eyes held nothing, his body was convulsing terribly as one hand clutched at the locket that Yuno had given him such a long time ago as if holding onto it would reassure him that what Yuno had just said was all some cruel, twisted joke. “A-Asta…” was all he could shakily manage as he tried to take a step towards him, instincts telling him to comfort Asta’s trembling form. In an instant, the same group of people that had parted to allow Asta to see him closed the only viewing window that Yuno had. He looked at Mimosa and Klaus, his best friends, who just averted their gazes shamefully.

“Yuno…” Marisol hissed. She still couldn’t believe what the raven-haired prince said to the only person that spoke so highly of him. 

“...I think...it’s time for you to go…” Noelle hissed with as much ferocity as Mereleona was showing next to her, who was clenching her fists hard enough that blood started seeping from her hands.

“...before we all kill you,” Luck finished the threat darkly. His eyes were wide with bloodlust, thirsting for the royal blood that had just scarred his precious friend.

Yuno knew better than to even assume that he could take on all of them. He hung his head low and quietly turned around to head for the door. As he grabbed the doorknob, he forced himself to look back over his shoulder and give those murderous eyes an apologetic look. With that, he opened the door, stepped through it, and closed it. But he didn’t leave...he just thudded his head on the wooden door quietly sending an apology to the man he loved.  _ What have I done? _ he thought.

_ Royal Capital _

_ The Infirmary - Asta’s Recovery Room _

_ Day of the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam, nighttime _

_ After Yuno leaves the room _

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, having finally rid the room of the raven-haired monster. All eyes turned to Asta, who hadn’t stopped clutching at the locket, staring wide-eyed at where Yuno had been only moments ago. His tremors wouldn’t stop despite Leo taking him into his arms and straddling him between his legs while humming the tune that usually made his tremors go away. Everyone looked at each other, trying to encourage one of them to be a brave soul and speak up...but no one knew what to say, not even Mereleona or Marisol, who appeared fazed for once in their life. It was when Asta spoke up quietly that everyone gasped at his order. “S-Someone...a-anyone...p-please make sure h-he’s ok,” Asta said shakily. With that, he sank into Leo’s embrace, making himself as small as he possibly could. Asta never cried once during or after Yuno’s deplorable speech. He wished he could...but he was too numb by the indescribable despair he felt as he heard Yuno speak his mind.  _ It’s not true...It’s not true...He didn’t mean it...He didn’t mean it _ , Asta repeated in his head. 

_ Amon? Are you there?  _ he asked the demon prince in his mind.  **_Yeah...I am, kid...I saw and heard everything_ ** , Amon answered back softly.  _ Can you make my pain go away?  _ he asked pleadingly.  **_Yes...I can make your pain and despair and anything else that you feel go away_ ** , Amon answered reluctantly.  _ Will you make them go away? Will you make everything go away? _ Asta pleaded. There were a few seconds of silence because it seemed like Amon was contemplating something.  **_No_ ** , Amon answered bluntly.  _ Why, Amon? Why won’t you help me? I’ll give you anything you want...just please...make it stop _ , Asta implored. There was a longer silence before Asta felt his eyes become heavy. Amon said,  **_Shut up, kid. You don’t know what you’re saying...just get some sleep before I actually do take your soul_ ** , Amon threatened hollowly.

_ Royal Capital _

_ The Infirmary - Finral’s Recovery Room _

_ Hours after Yuno snapped at Asta _

Yuno’s heart was breaking, yet it wasn’t because Asta didn’t love him. As a matter of fact, it was the complete opposite. Despite everything that had been said only hours ago, Asta still loved him. The man he loved still loved him enough to have someone check up on him. So why did he want to die alone and miserable? Oh, right...because he deserved to. He deserved every insult, every glare, every death threat, every punch, every blow to his body. At least, that’s what he had hoped for. Yet, as he laid in a bed that he had pulled up next to Finral’s unconscious form, hugging him with one arm while clutching his chest where his breaking heart was, nothing happened. Mimosa was just gently combing through his hair while Klaus rubbed circles around his back.  _ Why won’t they hurt me? Why won’t they kill me? Don’t they hate me?  _ wondered the only voice left in his head--his. For once, he wanted them to yell at him, to shout at him, to demean him...but all Mimosa and Klaus were doing was giving him reassuring words, telling him that they knew that he didn’t mean the words he had said.

But that was the problem...he did mean every word of it because it was his thoughts after all. It was the thoughts that he had fought hard to suppress, forcing himself to believe that they weren’t his and replacing them with thoughts of Asta and him together. But maybe that was the problem: in replacing those thoughts with the man he loved, they mixed into some inconceivable hatred for him. Yuno didn’t know anymore. For once, he just wanted to stop thinking, but he knew he couldn’t. 

There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. It was the voice of the unknown man in his dreams that had started speaking to him weeks ago.  _ You’ve got to fight. You can’t give up _ , rang the mystery man’s voice. Now, though, Yuno noticed that the once hazy voice didn’t belong to the name Yuno had given the mystery man--it wasn’t Asta’s. It sounded familiar, but Yuno knew that it wasn’t Asta’s voice. Why was it telling him to fight? Didn’t it know that he had already given up?  _ Never give up, Yuno...the fight’s not over yet! Your life doesn’t end here! You’ve got to keep going!  _ said the voice even louder. Should he do it? Should he try to fix something unfixable? Should he fight for him and Asta?  _ Yeah, you should...Fight for Asta...Fight for you...and once everything is over, I’ll be right here, waiting for you _ , said the voice as it faded in his mind. Yuno hummed at the words. Yes...he was going to fight...and win this one for him and Asta’s sake. Nothing would ever be the same, though, but Yuno could care less. He just wanted his Asta back in whatever way he could give himself back to Yuno... _ if  _ he gave himself back to Yuno.

_ Royal Capital _

_ Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room _

_ About two weeks later, morning _

“Good morning, love. It’s time for breakfast,” Leo said softly, kissing Asta’s cheek and gently shaking him awake. He glanced over at Asta’s nightstand and noticed that the dinner he had had prepared last night was left uneaten. Among Asta’s tremors and lack of speech, the most concerning to Leo, his squadmates, the Black Bulls, and just about everybody else that had been there  _ that _ day was Asta’s loss of appetite. Everyone had noticed whenever Asta went outside of the room that he had grown thin--his cheeks were starting to become hollow, his Crimson Lion Kings cape looked like it was getting heavy for him, and the rest of his clothes looked like they were way too big for him. Only a select few--Marisol, Mereleona, Leo, Noelle, Mimosa, Nala, and Nero, the anti-magic bird--dared to approach him. The rest had been fearful that a single, wrong word that came out of their mouths would shatter his delicate form. “Asta, love, it’s time to wake up,” Leo cooed, shaking him a little harder.

Nala, who was cuddling with Asta, woke up her master by licking his face. Those once bright viridian-colored eyes opened slowly and looked at her. Asta smiled weakly at his friend and scratched the back of her ear as thanks for waking him up from another nightmare. Asta sat up slowly with Leo’s help and leaned his back on the headboard. He returned the kiss onto Leo’s cheek as Leo gave him an apologetic smile. Then, the first of many daunting tasks in his morning routine came. Leo propped up the food tray so that it floated at his chest level. Asta eyed the spoon on the side of the bowl--just like yesterday, it intimidated him. He looked at Leo, who gave him an encouraging smile. He tried to return the smile as best he could as he picked up the spoon with a trembling hand. He gritted his teeth to force the hand to stop shaking as he dipped the spoon into the onion soup. He brought his mouth closer as he removed the spoon from the warm liquid...but just like yesterday, and the day before that, as the spoon got closer, his trembling got worse and by the time the spoon had touched his lips the majority of the broth had fallen back into the bowl or onto his night attire. Asta threw the spoon onto the tray and brought his hands to his hair as he pulled it in frustration. Again? It happened again? When could he get a goddamn hold of himself?  **_Kid, just let Leo do it_ ** , Amon said in his head.

Asta turned to Leo and gave him a defeated look. “It’s ok, love. Maybe tomorrow,” Leo said quietly as he removed Asta’s hands from his hair and kissed his palms. It hurt to see the man he loved so weak like this...but it was probably unfathomably worse for Asta. So, like yesterday, Leo took the spoon that Asta had thrown and started feeding him. In the middle of a bite, Leo decided to sneak in an inappropriate comment, “You know, if you don’t get those tremors under control...I don’t know how you’re going to take me on...under the covers.” This served to make Asta smile a bit as he started choking on his soup. Leo chuckled lightly as he wiped Asta’s mouth with a napkin. Leo always did this every morning because it was probably the only time he could see Asta light up a bit. For many people, it would’ve been highly inappropriate to joke like that, but Leo had noticed that Asta liked it, and Leo would do anything to see Asta’s beautiful smile. Just as Asta finished his soup, Mereleona kicked the door of their room off its hinges. Neither Asta nor Leo flinched, having already grown accustomed to it.

“Good morning, Asta!” she shouted as she picked up the door and placed it back on its hinges. She smiled to herself as she noticed it click back in place. It seemed as if Leo had learned his lesson, enchanting the door. After that, she turned to Asta, walked over to the bed, and grabbed the chocolate cake from his tray with her bare hand and stuffed it into his mouth. She shot a glare at Leo, who commented that she was being too rough with Asta, as she helped Asta chew the whole slice of cake. After she wiped his face, she sat on the bed and spoke in a normal tone, “Asta, this has gone on for far too long. You’re stronger than this--I and everybody else knows you are. So, as your captain, you  _ will _ follow my order when I say that you will fix yourself up. I’ve had Mother bring with her some therapists that will help you regain your original strength in a matter of days. The reason why I’m doing this now is because I want to inform you that you have been chosen to be a Royal Knight. We need you. The kingdom needs you. But we can’t operate until you’re back in shape. The introductory ceremony will be later today, so I’m ordering you to get your ass out of bed and make yourself presentable.” With that, she didn’t even wait for a reply. She stood up, kicked the door off its hinges again, and stepped through it. She wasn’t one for motivational speeches--Fuegoleon was better at those. She was more of a straight-to-the-point type of person, so that’s exactly what she did--she got straight to the point.

Leo turned back to Asta after he had fixed the door again. Asta was just staring at him blankly. He sat back on the bed and grabbed Asta’s hands. “You don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to, love. Just say the word, and I’ll let Mother know.” But Asta didn’t nod at him. Instead, he squeezed Leo’s hands back with as much strength as he could and gave him a determined smile--something that Leo had not seen in weeks. It was a sight to behold. Leo grabbed Asta’s nape and leaned his forehead against his. Both men closed their eyes for a few seconds before Leo opened his and planted a kiss on Asta’s forehead. He smiled warmly at Asta as he said, “Welcome back, Asta.” With that, Leo helped Asta finish his breakfast and showered together as Leo helped clean Asta up, preparing each other for the day ahead of them.

_ Somewhere in the Royal Capital _

_ Royal Knights’ Introductory Ceremony _

_ The same day, afternoon _

The next time Yuno saw Asta was at the Royal Knights’ introductory ceremony. Yuno knew that he’d be chosen to become a Royal Knight. He also knew Asta would as well, so he had made sure to stay in shape as he waited for the notification so that when the time came to confront Asta again, he would have strong mental defenses to combat the onslaught of Asta’s words and insults. It was nice to know that Mimosa and Klaus would accompany him to the ceremony because they had made it in as well. But nothing had prepared him to see Asta’s thin, malnourished form. As he stepped closer to him, he noticed that it was worse than he had seen from afar. It destroyed all of the defenses he had built up in knowing that he was the cause of this, memories of  _ that _ day returning to the forefront of his mind. But before he could formulate a sentence, Mereleona had already begun the ceremony. She introduced herself as captain and went through the normal motions of stating the mission objective, the purpose of forming the Royal Knights, and what their plan of action would be. Yuno ignored everything that she said, even when Zora Ideale, who had posed as Xerx, came crashing in, late for the ceremony, because all he could look at was Asta. All he could think about was Asta and what was going through his mind as he could feel the despair radiating from his body.

It was when Mereleona raised her voice after introducing and ordering King Augustus to leave that Yuno was snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes went wide when he saw Asta step up to the stage and seemed to be staring at solely Yuno, burning his soul with his cold, empty eyes. Yuno wanted to look away, but he couldn’t because his guilt was forcing him to look at Asta, punishing him by reminding him of what he had done.

“Listen up, maggots!” Mereleona shouted. She placed a hand on Asta’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. She turned back to the crowd of Royal Knights as she continued, “Introducing myself as a captain was just a ploy to fool King Augustus.” Immediately, confused whispers erupted in the crowd as she explained herself further, “This is because I would like to introduce you to our real captain, Asta!” Now, the room grew even more restless as mixtures of cheers and complaints filled the air. “I know what you all are thinking: Asta is too young and inexperienced to be a captain, especially for an elite squad like the Royal Knights...but as his captain in the Crimson Lion Kings, I can assure you all that he is more than ready for the position because he has proven himself time and time again that he can make the right decision that would mean a mission’s success, so you all will give him the respect that he deserves as a captain...or I’ll kill you!” Everyone, except Nozel Silva, who looked only slightly irritated, jumped back in surprise at the threat. To appease some of the Royal Knights’ concerns, Mereleona added, “Furthermore, I will remind you all that the best way to become a captain is to lead and command your squad in battle because no book or amount of classes will ever prepare you for the uncertainty in a fight. Nevertheless, I assure you all that I will stand in and correct Asta if I deem his actions harmful to the mission’s success, so rest easy. But remember, maggots: Asta’s the captain and what he says goes! Understood?” 

Everyone shouted in agreement and saluted Asta, who was still staring at his raven-haired foster-brother. That was when Mereleona added, “I am sure most of you know what had transpired about two weeks ago between Asta and his foster-brother.” She, and everyone else, glanced menacingly at Yuno, who was still lost in Asta’s eyes. “I and the Crimson Lion Kings will take care of the captain’s weakened state, which should improve greatly in a matter of days. Unfortunately, Asta has lost his voice,” she lied, “so until he can provide a direct order, your assignment will be to patrol the Royal Capital and prepare for the upcoming mission.” She looked down at Asta and squeezed his shoulder to get his attention. When he looked up, she asked, “Does that work with you, captain?” Asta nodded and with that, the Royal Knights filed out to begin their patrols.

Only Asta, who was accompanied by Luck, Noelle, and Zora, and Yuno, who was accompanied by Mimosa and Klaus, were left in the room. As Yuno began to approach Asta, Zora stepped in front of the captain. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, royal shithead?” Zora hissed. Although he hadn’t been present at the time, his Black Bulls squadmates had filled him in with what had happened. Zora had no idea that he could hate a royal so much more than he already did but as he looked at Yuno’s pained expression, he found more hatred in another corner of his mind.

“P-Please...let me talk to him,” Yuno managed shakily as Mimosa squeezed his hand as Klaus glared at Zora for him.

Zora was about to reproach him for being such a cowardly royal until he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Asta, who was giving him a hardened expression, letting him know that it was ok to let Yuno pass. Zora sighed and made way for Yuno, who thanked him weakly. “Shut the fuck up. I’m only doing this ‘cause our captain ordered it.”

Yuno turned back to Asta, who was staring at him in the same way he was doing minutes earlier. “A-Asta…” he said breathily. He knew he deserved that look that Asta was giving him, but he couldn’t bear to see him like that. He reached a trembling hand to grab Asta’s nape as he said, “I-I’m s-so s-s-sorry…”

Asta wanted to accept the apology, but he listened to Amon’s advice, which was to focus on the mission first before he and Yuno fixed things. He slapped the hand away, making Yuno gasp in shock. In a weak, raspy voice thanks to his vocal chords going unused for weeks, he managed, “That’s  _ Captain  _ Asta to you...and a  _ royal _ should never  _ apologize _ to a  _ filthy...weak...dim-witted...violated peasant _ like myself,  _ Prince Grinberryall _ ...It is above you,  _ Your Highness _ .” With that, he bowed for good measure and sidestepped Yuno as he escorted himself and his Black Bulls squadmates out of the room to begin patrol.

  
Yuno doubled over, feeling as if the wind was knocked out from him. He clutched his chest at his broken heart. The venom in Asta’s voice was squeezing and burning his throat like poison. Mimosa and Klaus kneeled down and asked softly if he was ok. All Yuno could manage was, “I-I deserved it…” The statement was more of a reminder to himself than it was an answer to his best friends’ questions. Asta’s words had wounded him.  _ But nothing can compare to what he went through _ , Yuno reminded himself,  _ I have to keep fighting for us...Asta...I’m not giving up yet! _ With that, he took a deep, shaky breath and stood himself up. He thanked his best friends and walked out of the room to begin his patrol with Klaus and Mimosa following close behind. (He was really going to look for Asta).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a horrible person, I know. But I like to think of this chapter as a necessary evil. Let me know what you think.


	30. Chapter 30

_Gravito Rock Zone, outside_

_About a week later_

Mereleona had been right. It had taken only a couple of days for Asta to recover thanks to Marisol and the therapists’ recovery magic. Asta’s voice had still been a little hoarse and the state of his heart had still been delicate, but he had reminded himself that all he had to do was get through the mission and then he and Yuno could try and patch up the large hole in their relationship. He and Leo would often talk about why he wouldn’t just talk to him about it before the mission, which had surprised Asta a bit that Leo had been the one pushing him to get along with Yuno when not too long ago, it had been the other way around. After having discussed how Asta could go about talking to him, Asta had always ended the late-night talks with that he needed to focus on the mission--his emotions and state of mind were already in a compromising position, and he didn’t want to have them tip towards the wrong side, exacerbating the already tense situation. Leo would relent after that.

But for Asta, it had still been tough. Yuno would play dirty and try to switch patrol schedules or sections so that he could see him. It had already been difficult as it had been whenever Asta had gone on his daily visits to check up on Finral--Yuno couldn’t sleep without Finral, so he had “moved in” with him in his recovery room. It had always been a touching sight that would make it harder for Asta to turn his back on Yuno everytime he would get down on his knees and grovel, begging for forgiveness. Asta could’ve visited at another time, in fact, if given the chance to avoid Yuno, he would’ve, but his strict recovery schedule had only allowed him that small window to visit his two big brothers.

Luckily, his role as a captain and his evasion with Yuno had allowed him to notice a spy in their midst, which had been the reason (other than his recovery) that Asta had abruptly delayed their plans to assault the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s hideout. Mereleona and Nozel had appeared to approve of the sudden delay, meaning that they had probably been thinking the same thing. It had been frustrating to manage the nobles and royals in his group, save a few, during the delay because most of them had still been irked by the fact that a peasant was their captain, but Asta had paid no heed to the insults. In the end, it had been all worth it because the moment the spy had revealed himself, the Royal Knights under his command had some newfound respect for him. After that, the assault had been moved up to the next night, where Asta’s **Demon Light Magic: Apollo’s Arrow** could somewhat blend in with the moonlight, allowing for a fast means of travel that maintained the stealth required for the ambush.

That was where the group was now--outside the terrorists’ hideout in a Grand Magic Zone called the Gravito Rock Zone. Asta had already established that the group would separate into three-man teams, attacking from all angles and then meeting up at the center thanks to Siren’s **Stone Magic: Stone Model of the World** that mapped out a three-dimensional physical representation of the hideout. They were just about to set out when Yuno interrupted, “Captain Asta, if I may. I’d like to request that Zora and I trade places because I believ-”

“Eh? Are you losing brain cells, you royal shit-” was all Zora could say before Asta raised his hand to cut him off.

Asta glared at Yuno, who flinched. “Prince Yuno, I appreciate your feedback in my method of dividing up the Royal Knights, but I assure you, Zora is more than capable of being in my team with Mereleona.” He bowed, ignoring everyone’s snickering, and continued in his hoarse voice, “I apologize on Zora’s behalf for his impolite behavior towards a royal. Will you be so kind as to show him mercy and forgive a lowly commoner like him?” He looked up to see Yuno nod woefully while clutching his robe over where his heart was. It hurt Asta to have to see him like that. _Focus on the mission_ , he reminded himself. For the first time in weeks, he offered him a half-smile, which seemed to do the trick as he straightened himself and put on his impassive expression. “Good...Now let’s take down the Eye of the Midnight Sun...everyone, let me add this: if any of them stand in your way...get creative.” He nodded at Mereleona, who grinned wickedly at him. With that, the assault on the Eye of the Midnight Sun began.

_Royal Capital_

_Shadow Palace - Exit Room_

_The next day_

The assault had begun well--anyone that had stood in Asta’s team’s path had quickly been burned down by Mereleona’s fiery resolve to avenge her brother. Soon enough, they had been faced with the last member of the Third Eye, Raia the Unfaithful. A smooth battle had become arduous when Mereleona had ordered Asta and Zora to stay back because Raia was hers. Asta knew better than to stand in Mereleona’s way when she was mad, so he had abided by her order. Eventually, the battle had ended with Mereleona victorious after Asta had quickly cancelled out Raia’s self-destruction. Unfortunately, the victory had been short-lived because soon enough Raia, along with all the other elves’ souls, had reincarnated, forcing Asta and Zora into the fight since Mereleona had gone crazy, claiming that she would take Raia and the reincarnated members of the Royal Knights one-on-five. That time around, however, the battle had been swiftly ended, but the consequence was that Asta was left to take on the same elves that he, Zora, and Mereleona had just defeated, having thrown Zora and an unconscious Mereleona through a hole in the ground to allow for their escape. Asta could have probably won, but he would’ve probably died as a result, so Asta had chosen to allow himself to be captured yet again to be taken to where Yuno presumably had been, turning off his mana so that it had appeared he had expended it in the battle.

With that, Asta had been brought to the center of the hideout where the real Licht had finally been revealed...but Asta couldn’t help but feel that Licht hadn’t approved of his fellow elves’ methods. Asta hadn’t been able to focus on that, however, because in the same room had been Mimosa and a reincarnated Hamon, Klaus, and Yuno. The sight of Yuno about to attack him and Mimosa with intent to kill had forced Asta’s hand to turn his mana back on, prepared to take down anyone that would dare to harm his fellow Magic Knights. But just when Asta had been about to be blindsided by Hamon and Klaus’s attacks, Yuno had saved him, having been able to wake up from the spell that had tried to replace his soul with an elf’s thanks to Asta’s reminder that he and Yuno were foster-brothers and rivals in the race to become Wizard King. But when Yuno had tried to talk to Asta, Asta had snapped at him and told him to focus on the mission. With that, Asta and Yuno, with an elf’s magical boost, had easily defeated Hamon and Klaus...but they had not been prepared to have to face the leader of the Elves, who, despite being half-conscious, had been able to take on Asta and Yuno and had somehow kept up with Asta at lightspeed. The battle had ultimately ended in the foster-brothers’ defeat as they were blasted out of the giant rock that was the elves’ hideout.

Despite having been defeated, the foster-brothers’ could not rest, having discovered the elves’ plans to wipe out the human race. So, once Asta had noted that all the surviving members of the Royal Knights had made it safely out of the base, he had ordered the team to head for the Royal Capital, which was where the elves were headed. Unfortunately, Asta, having used his Black Asta form against Licht, couldn’t use his demon light magic to make the journey, so the group had to opt for Nozel’s mercury magic. It had been while they were on their way that Asta and Yuno had noticed that Hage Village was under attack, so Asta had given command to Nozel until he and Yuno would return from saving their childhood home. 

Despite still having to recover, the battle between the foster-brothers and the reincarnated elf had been quick thanks to Yuno’s elf’s magical boost. It had been there that Asta discovered that his grimoire had a new sword, which according to Amon, was the Demon-Destroyer Sword. This had allowed Asta to undo the forbidden magic that had been placed on the elf-Magic Knight, removing the elf’s soul from the Magic Knight. After that, Asta and Yuno had met up with his orphanage family, to Yuno’s apprehension, when he had discovered that Yuno had never told the orphanage family that Asta had passed the exam because Yuno had told everyone that he would fail. The reunion had been cut short, however, as the foster-brothers still had a mission to complete. On the way to the Royal Capital, Asta had been forced to separate from Yuno both because Yuno had been trying to get him to talk to him and because Asta had sensed Luck’s reincarnated form laying havoc to a village.

After having released Luck from his spell, Asta and the Black Bulls had made way for the Royal Capital, running into Rades, Valtos, and Sally along the way, who had wanted nothing more than to exact their revenge on Patolli, who had stepped in as “Licht”. As soon as they had arrived, Asta had been forced to face a reincarnated Gauche and Marie with Grey, Gordon, and Henry supporting him. The battle had ended in Asta and the Black Bulls’ victory with Asta removing the forbidden spell from the Adlai siblings. But that had been when the portal to the Shadow Palace was closing. With the Magic Knights’ chances at stopping the Elves getting smaller, Asta and some of the Royal Knights, including Fuegoleon, who had been chosen by Salamander as his next host, had headed into the Shadow Palace before the portal closed.

Once inside the Shadow Palace, Asta had noted that he and the others had been separated, so Asta went with his mana senses and had gone towards the strongest concentration of mana. That had been when Amon finally decided to speak up and tell him that the forbidden magic used was extremely powerful and seemed to be the workings of a devil. Asta had not hesitated to change his views on the Elves, seeing them as victims of a bigger plan. With a new resolve thanks to Amon’s information, he and Mimosa had set out to find the devil in the Shadow Palace. That had been when the two ran into Yuno, who had been battling none other than a devil, who according to Amon, was named Zagred, a commander of the demon army. The battle with Zagred had been challenging to say the least, thanks to the demon’s word soul magic and the fact that Asta couldn’t use lightspeed because of his Black Asta form. 

To make matters worse, Zagred had revealed to Patolli that he had been used by him to carry out the demons’ plans, making Patolli turn into a dark elf, succumbing to his despair, while Zagred had taken off to leave the Shadow Palace. As a result, Yuno and Asta had been stuck with a more powerful, sinister version of a being blessed by mana. Luckily, Asta had recovered from his use of his Black Asta form and like his first fight with Patolli, he had created openings for Yuno while he had nullified Patolli’s demon light magic with his own. But Asta, having not taken a proper break from nearly twenty-four hours of battling against a mana-loved race and demon, had quickly been overpowered. However, when all seemed lost, Nozel had come to save Asta and Yuno, claiming that Vanessa would kill him and that he was going to be Wizard King. With that, Patolli had been beaten thanks to Nozel’s mercury magic’s high affinity to light. He had been about to execute Patolli to avenge Fuegoleon had it not been for Asta informing him of what Amon had told him. Nozel had ultimately relented, allowing Asta to undo the spell and return Patolli to his light elf state. After having successfully done so, Asta and Yuno had headed for the exit room with Patolli to take on Zagred.

There, they had found that Zagred was being held back by Licht’s half-conscious form when Asta had finally realized that the sword mage that Fanzell had alluded to was the leader of the Elves’, making Asta internally freak out. After having recovered his magic, Asta, Yuno, and Patolli were about to take on Zagred until the first Wizard King, Lumière Silvamillion Clover, and Secré had arrived, who had promptly undid the spell that was afflicting Licht, waking him up.

That was where they were now: the first Wizard King, Licht, Asta, and Yuno against Zagred. _Amon, can you answer a quick question?_ Asta asked the demon prince in his head. **_Go for it, kid_** , Amon permitted. _Does anti-magic work against creatures from your world?_ he asked. **_I’m surprised you figured that out. Yes, it does. Your demon light magic does too, but only my anti-magic is the most effective against demons_** , Amon admitted. _Eh!? Are you fucking serious!? So you had me go into our Black Asta form when I could’ve been using demon light magic all this time!?_ Asta yelled at his demon, who was laughing wickedly. **_I mean, you never asked. Did you?_** Amon fired back. _Fuck you, Amon_ , Asta said, accidentally flipping off Zagred in the process, making everyone around him confused. **_Oh, quite the contrary, kid. I think it’s Leo who will be fucking you_** , Amon cleverly corrected. Asta blushed, baffling those around him even more because they thought that that was the grey-haired Royal Knight captain’s reaction to Zagred saying he was going to rip his throat out. _Not the time, Amon! Anyways, how much time until I can go into Black Asta again?_ he asked. **_Tch. It’s gonna be a while, kid. You’ll just have to hold out with your demon light magic until then_** , Amon replied, annoyed. Asta nodded. Then, Asta announced, “Everyone! I think anti-magic works against devils, but I won’t be able to do much since I’m recharging my Black Asta form!”

“That’s alright, Asta,” Licht said softly as he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Me and Lumière will take it from here.” He glanced back at Lumière, who gave him a thumbs and toothy grin. Licht nodded and faced the devil, “We humans and Elves will end your 500-year reign of terror, devil.”

“ **I’d like to see you try** ,” Zagred cackled. With that, he released more of the Underworld’s magic onto his opponents.

Lumière and Licht flared up their mana. Lumière flipped to a page in his grimoire and recited, “ **Light Magic: Mana Zone: Lamp of Avior--Gloria**.” With that, he raised his hand to cast columns of light that wiped out the incoming otherworldly magic.

Asta grinned as he saw a page in his grimoire react like it had with Patolli. He wasted no time in reciting, “ **Demon Light Magic: Mana Zone: Lamp of Avior--Gloria**.” With that, he casted the same spell as the first Wizard King, to everyone else’s surprise, wiping out more of the incoming otherworldly magic.

“ **Sword Magic: Origin Slash--Rampage** ,” Licht said. With that, he sent ten large mana slashes with his Demon-Dweller Sword that destroyed more of the otherworldly magic.

Again, another spell wrote itself in Asta’s grimoire. He recited, “ **Sword Magic: Origin Slash--Rampage**.” With that, he casted the same spell as the leader of the Elves’, again, to everyone’s surprise, wiping out the entire room of the otherworldly magic.

Licht stared at Asta, wide-eyed, who was giving him a toothy grin and a thumbs-up. He smiled warmly at him as he thought, _Dual-magic affinity...light and sword...so he must be…_ Immediately, Lumière signaled for him to start their counterattack, unable to finish his thoughts. 

With that, the two best friends set out to battle Zagred at lightspeed, believing that they could defeat him if they attacked at that speed and strength. Unfortunately, that was not the case when Zagred pulled out his pitch-black pitchfork, chopped off Lumière’s arm, and was about to kill him had it not been for Yuno throwing Asta, who blocked the attack using his Demon-Slayer Sword, confirming that anti-magic could work. Licht attempted to end it all with his **Ultimate Sword Magic: Demon-Dweller Sword--Conquering Eon** spell that wrote itself into Asta’s grimoire as well (though Asta didn’t notice because he was too busy looking starry-eyed at the attack). Sadly, it didn’t work because Zagred’s heart was not destroyed by the attack, allowing the demon to heal with his word soul magic. 

Zagred went for Asta with his word soul magic in an attempt to remove the nuisance that could actually kill him, but Asta was quickly saved by Lumière, only to be slapped by anti-magic, slamming him into the wall. _Eh!? What was that for, Amon!?_ Asta squealed at his demon. **_Shut up, kid...that dude was being annoying_ **, Amon huffed.

Secré rushed for her prince and asked if he was ok, to which he replied, “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine...Anti-magic sure can be a nuisance.” He looked at Asta and Yuno, who were beginning their own attack since Asta recovered his Black Asta form. That was when he noticed Yuno’s sword and wind magic. _Wind and sword...so he must be…_ he thought, smiling but unable to finish what he was thinking as he watched Asta and Yuno begin their counterattack.

The two foster-brothers fought like they had been fighting years by each other’s side. Asta and Yuno had Zagred in their line of sight, coming at him bidirectionally. The two were about to finish him off only for Asta’s Black Asta form to wear off at the worst possible moment. All seemed lost until Yami, from a different region of the Shadow Palace, sliced Zagred in half with his **Dark Magic: Mana Zone: Dark-Cloaked Dimensional Slash--Equinox** spell, exposing the demon’s heart, surprising everyone in the exit room.

But there was no time to waste as the demon yelled profanities and any word that could heal him. The dark magic appeared to have affected his word soul magic, giving Asta and Yuno the opening they needed. But Asta still hadn’t recovered. That was until Secré sealed his physical injuries with her **Sealing Magic: Heavenly Prison: Faint Omen** spell. Asta was stunned at the sudden return of his strength, only to be woken up by a set of words that revealed that Secré knew a secret that he had been holding close to his heart:

_Asta...you’re going to become Wizard King, right!? To protect those you love...to protect your hero, right!?_

That was all Asta needed. _Amon, I’m sorry, but your demon friend has got to go_ , Asta told his demon friend regretfully. **_That bitch isn’t my friend, kid. I want to kill him as much as you do...let’s do this_ **, Amon replied. With that, Asta reawakened his Black Asta form, increasing the size of his Demon-Slayer Sword as he chopped down and shouted, “This is for the people of Clover...for the Wizard King...for the Elves...for my hero!”

_Royal Capital_

_Shadow Palace_

_Asta’s Mind_

_As he kills Zagred_

Amon looked down at Asta, who was growling at Zagred. **_Hey, kid. I got this_ ** , Amon said. Asta looked back at him, bewildered, but smiled and nodded as he faded into the void of his mind to watch the proceedings. Amon couldn’t suppress his laughter anymore, pointing at the beaten form of Zagred. **_What’s up, Zagred?_ ** he greeted him mockingly.

Zagred was awestruck. He couldn’t believe who was speaking to him. **_P-Prince Amon! W-What are you doing here? What are you doing with this human? Why did you allow him to kill me? King Abaddon will have your head for this!_ ** he growled.

Amon only laughed harder at this. **_And who’s gonna tell him, Commander Zagred? I guess you’ll have to let him know that I’ll have_ ** **his** **_head...oh, wait...you can’t! Because you’re about to die!_ **

Zagred could feel his form fading. The Demon Prince was right--he was going to die by his own prince’s hands. As he began to fade, he shouted, **_This is treason of the highest order, Prince Amon!_ **With that, he faded into nothingness and died.

Amon retorted as if Zagred could still hear him, **_I don’t think that really matters now that I’ve got a human that wants to make our dreams come true_ ** . Asta faded back into his mind, giggling at Amon. **_Huh? What’s got into you, kid?_ **he asked Asta.

_You just acknowledged me_ , Asta pointed out between chuckles.

Amon’s eyes went wide at that. Did he? He did, didn’t he? He did say that it was their dream and not Amon’s. Still, despite being cornered again by his host, he said coolly, **_Yeah...whatever, kid._ **

_Royal Capital_

_Sunrise_

After Asta had killed Zagred, the Shadow Palace began to collapse as everyone had made a beeline for the exit. Once they had gotten back to the Royal Capital, the wretched place had been destroyed. Shortly after, Licht had corrected the wrongs on behalf of his people by combining his Demon-Dweller Sword, which connected him to all of the elves’ souls, with William, who had awoken from his slumber deep within the body that he and Patolli had been sharing, and his world tree magic, which connected him to all the bodies that were being possessed by the elves, to cast the spell **Compound Magic: Demon-Dweller Sword: Spirit Light Tree** , which had freed the humans from their elf-possession, allowing the souls of the elves to rest in peace. 

As Licht’s body began to glow, indicating that his soul was going to leave it soon, Licht pulled Asta to the side to have a private conversation. He smiled warmly at the dual-magic mage, who returned the gesture. It was then that the grey-haired boy’s grimoire began to emit a purple hue, so Licht asked to see it. As he went to the pages that were giving off the purple light, Licht realized that Asta’s grimoire was given two highly forbidden spells. He closed the book and handed it back to Asta, giving him an apologetic look. Asta looked like he was about to say something, but Licht held up his hand to tell him to save his breath. “I don’t have much time, Asta,” he sighed, already feeling some of the elves’ souls in the kingdom disappearing, “so please, listen closely. You have been given two highly forbidden spells that I implore you to use only when you truly believe that there is nothing left that you can do.” Asta nodded at him. “I’m glad I got to fight alongside you and Yuno...please, have my grimoire as my parting gift. Goodbye, Asta.” With that, Licht’s soul elevated into the heavens to rest in peace once and for all.

The other souls followed, but Rades, who had been waiting for the right moment, casted his **Wraith Magic: Soul Abductor** to reanimate Patolli’s soul back into Licht’s empty body. He declared that this would be Patolli’s punishment to which Patolli said, “Thank you, Rades. I suppose I can use this third chance at life to atone for my sins.”

After a touching reunion between Patolli and William, the sun began to rise over the horizon and with it, the first Wizard King’s time was coming to a close. But before the final moment, he turned to the group of Magic Knights that had sworn their duty to protect the kingdom he was supposed to inherit had it not been for his untimely demise. He couldn’t help but grin at the sight and say, “It’s nice to have finally met my descendants.” Then, he turned to Secré and grabbed her hands to give it a gentle squeeze as he added, “Take care of the boys for me, will you, Secré?”

Secré’s eyes began to fill with tears as she could feel the once warm hands begin to turn cold, but she wouldn’t cry. Her prince never liked it when she cried. So, she blinked away her tears and opted for a snarky comeback, “My prince, I’ll have you know that that is highly inappropriate behavior that is unbecoming of royalty. There are women among the group that you have just implied.” She added her signature eye roll that always made the blonde-haired royal chuckle...but that would be the last chuckle she would hear because after that, the prince’s body cracked and crumbled, withering away into dust. She cried softly so as not to draw any attention, allowing the tears that she had blinked away come back and stream down her cheeks. She weeped softly as if her prince was still there, “It was an honor serving you my prince...Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the boys for you.”

Now, all that was left for the Royal Knights was to help rebuild the kingdom from its ruins...but for one raven-haired boy, there was something more important than that. He walked up to Asta, who was watching the sunrise like they always had when they were little kids. Yuno cleared his throat to get Asta’s attention. Seeing his ears perk up despite having his back to him, Yuno started breathily, “A-Asta...I’m...I’m so sorry for wh-”

In one swift motion, Asta turned around, grabbed Yuno’s nape, and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. He rested his forehead on Yuno’s as he looked at those shocked amber-colored eyes. He whispered softly, “Shut up for once, you handsome idiot and listen to me. I know you never meant what you said...and even if you did, I know you want to fix things. I’m willing to do it as long as you keep your promise to never leave me again because out of all the things you said that day, that was the only thing that scared the shit out of me...so Yuno, will you never leave me again?” Yuno nodded, still speechless by how Asta had so easily forgiven him. Asta held up his pinky and grinned his signature grin at him. “Promise?”

Yuno wrapped his pinky around Asta’s and said, “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Well you can’t die just yet because you’ve gotta watch me become Wizard King!” Asta chuckled.

“Shut up, shorty,” Yuno scoffed as he pulled Asta into a tight hug while Asta giggled in his chest. Yuno could only let out a sigh of relief before he stiffened as he felt Asta’s hands wander somewhere unexpectedly. Blushing a deep red, Yuno asked, “A-Asta, are you fondling my ass?”

Asta looked up with a wicked grin, resting his chin on Yuno’s chest. “I just had to make sure that what certain people said was true,” he said, giving it a tight squeeze, making Yuno yelp and blush darker, “it’s really jiggly...but you’re so lean...how did all the fat go here?” Asta lifted Yuno’s cheeks that bounced as he let them go. Asta muttered under his breath, “I wonder if Leo would want me to fatten up this area...he always likes to smack it when we have sex…”

“C-C-C-C-Can you n-n-not r-r-r-r-ruin the m-m-m-m-moment, S-S-Stupidsta!?” Noelle screeched as she seemed to be the only one that had heard the last part--Yuno’s brain had already short-circuited along with Secré’s and Mimosa’s. She would’ve as well had it not been for the fact that she was actually contemplating on helping Asta fatten up his rear end like the good sister-figure she was.

Asta chuckled and rubbed the back of his head after he had let go of Yuno. “Sorry, sorry! I’m just a little horny is all! But don’t worry, Leo can fix that up real good!” he shouted, which made Yuno, Mimosa, Secré, and, now, Noelle faint. He looked around at his friends and wondered aloud, “Was it something I said?” With that, he helped his friends wake up as the Magic Knights set out to commence reconstruction.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for another emotional rollercoaster...I'm sorry that I'm not sorry. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL

_Royal Capital_

_Magic Parliament_

_A week after the battle with the Elves_

As reconstruction efforts had gone underway and the Magic Knights had recovered from their injuries, a lot of things had happened. But by far, the most shocking had been the fact that the Wizard King that had died...didn’t die...but he did. To put it simply, Julius had used the time magic that he had stored in an ancient magic item called the Swallowtail to stop himself from dying, but the side effect had been that he had stored only enough magic to turn back into a thirteen-year-old. So, other than the Magic Knight captains and a select few individuals, everyone had assumed that the Wizard King had died.

A close-second, though, was Yuno being promoted to temporary captain, making him the youngest captain to ever command a Magic Knight squad; William and Patolli had both been on strict house arrest and Langris had...not been himself whereas the rest of the Golden Dawn were “stuck-up losers” (according to Patolli), so the only logical choice had been Yuno until further notice. Tied for second, though, was Asta being promoted to vice-captain, also making him the youngest vice-captain in history to co-command a Magic Knight squad. At that point, Asta had just assumed that every other big event was tied for second because nothing could beat the Wizard King dying, undying, but remaining “dead”. The Crimson Lion Kings had congratulated Asta for the promotion while the Golden Dawn had resented Yuno, save Mimosa and Klaus, who were more than happy to act as Yuno’s bodyguards.

The lingering question, however, had been: Why was Asta not promoted to captain? Simple (well, according to Julius, who had always claimed that the most convoluted plans were “simple”): Julius had needed Fuegoleon to stand in as Wizard King since he had the most merit out of all the Magic Knight captains to which no one disagreed, so this had left the captain position for the Crimson Lion Kings vacant. Naturally, Asta, like Yuno, should’ve been chosen, especially after Asta’s proven success with the Royal Knights, but Julius had wanted him to act as private investigator for his counterintelligence division after having questioned Amon, whom Asta had permitted at the time to take over his voice. That was when they had discovered that Amon had no idea of his father’s next plans, which was all the more reason for Asta to act as a private investigator. So, that meant that Mereleona had to continue being the captain so that Asta wasn’t in a compromising position if the time ever came for Asta to “disappear”. 

What had happened next was what Julius had predicted: Asta had been arrested under the charges of treason, espionage, and terrorism. He soon found himself in the center of the Magic Parliament, awaiting judgement by none other than King Augustus, who looked like he was enjoying every minute. The proceedings had been short because no one wanted to listen to a peasant. Asta had defended himself, stating that the charges placed against him were the workings of the elves to which Damnatio, the head judge, had countered that it had been the workings of a devil. He had never specified a name, which had forced Asta to agree. Damnatio had continued, claiming that Asta had been the only known person to be devil-possessed, so it only made sense that Asta had been behind everything. Fuegoleon, who had been watching from his seat designated for the Wizard King (after a very brief coronation), couldn’t do a single thing, still inexperienced in the position, realizing that he stood in a delicate position as a buffer for the corrupt politics of the nobles and royals and his Magic Knights. Marisol, Leonard, and Mereleona had been in the same position as they all looked like they were about to burn the place down. That had been when Yami and the Black Bulls, Leo and the Crimson Lion Kings, Yuno, Mimosa, and Klaus had broken into the building to defend Asta at all costs.

No one dared to make a move in the uncomfortable silence as they awaited the king’s judgement. _If I kill him now, I’ll be revered as a savior that brought justice to the Clover Kingdom_ , thought Augustus as he fiddled with his mustache. He grinned smugly and cleared his throat. In a squeaky voice, he declared, “Asta, you are the vice-captain of the Crimson Lion Kings and the captain of _my_ Royal Knights...but you are still a peasant.” He smiled as he heard whispers of agreement. He continued, “You are a devil-possessed peasant that is responsible for wreaking havoc upon _my_ land...that has resulted in many lives lost...including that of the 28th Wizard King, Julius Novachrono.” Now, people were shouting in agreement, which prompted the king to finally say, “Therefore, I, King Augustus Kira Clover XIII, with the power invested in me, find you...guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for the capital crimes of treason, espionage, and terrorism, which are all punishable by death. Asta, I hereby sentence you to your immediate execution so that we may rid this land of a sinister force...Guards!” With that, five hooded mages raised their hands in preparation for their spell while Asta just stood there. Every part of him wanted to lash out because not even anti-magic bindings could stand in his way...but he didn’t want to prove the accusations to be more true than they already were by going into his Black Asta form.

That was when Leo and Yuno stepped in front of the guards, defending Asta. Yuno pulled out a parchment. He unrolled the scroll and cleared his throat as he read aloud for everyone to hear, “Under Royal Decree No. 21, I, Lumière Silvamillion Clover, prince to the Clover Kingdom throne, with the authorization of his Majesty, King Augustus Silvamillion Clover, hereby declare that any commoner or peasant that finds himself or herself betrothed to any of my descendents shall henceforth be granted the same political immunity given to all royals.” With that, he unrolled the parchment and sighed. He didn’t like what was going to happen next, but at least Finral had been there when Secré had told them of a way to save Asta. It helped to lessen the blow to his heart...but he would always love Asta despite what was going to happen.

“Yuno...what are yo-” was all Asta could say before he gasped, along with everyone else in the building. Marisol, Leonard, Mereleona, and Fuegoleon had wide grins on their faces. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing: Leo was on one knee, holding a black, velvet box towards him. “L-Leo...what are yo-” was all Asta could manage before he gasped again while all the women in the building were swooning or squealing. Leo had just opened the box, revealing a simple golden ring encrusted with a single ruby. Asta looked to Yuno, who gave him a pained nod. Asta knew how much this must have been hurting him, but he was thankful that he would allow him to be happy...even if it wasn’t with him. He looked back down at Leo as tears began to threaten to fall from his already watery eyes.

Leo’s heart couldn’t take the suspense anymore, heart beating as if he was having palpitations. He cleared his throat and asked confidently in the short simple way that Asta had always said he wanted, “Asta, will you marry me?” He and Asta were only sixteen...he had originally wanted to save it for when they were older despite the already common practice of marrying in their teens among Magic Knights because of the fear that the next day would be their last, but if the mark on his forehead meant anything, then it was that he would want to marry Asta, regardless of how old or young they were.

Asta nodded, starting to cry tears of joy. This was definitely going to tie for first most dramatic event that happened this week. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Asta said, “Y-Yes...Yes, I’ll marry you, Leopold Vermillion...N-Now put that goddamn ring on my finger before I faint.” Leo grabbed his left hand and slipped the ring onto his fourth digit--it was a perfect fit. He closed his eyes as Leo caressed his cheek. Soon enough, his lips were captured in a deep, tender kiss as the whole building applauded and cheered for the newly betrothed. The cheering only grew louder as the guards, against the king’s command, uncuffed Asta’s restraints. 

With that, the charges were dropped since Asta was going to be a Vermillion. Noelle and Mimosa, who were reduced to tears like Asta, came to hug him, congratulating the grey-haired soon-to-be-royal. Everyone else followed suit--even Yuno, who had his arms and legs wrapped around Finral despite Klaus’s reproach that he wasn’t acting like a proper captain. The only one that was probably suffering (other than the king) was Nozel, who was being beaten by Vanessa for allowing himself to be beaten by a sixteen-year-old. After that, everyone went out to celebrate, leaving a defeated king to wallow in his own tears.

_Royal Capital_

_Wizard King’s Office_

_Months later_

Months would pass and the Clover Kingdom would find itself declaring war against the Spade Kingdom after Amon had noted that most of the demon army that his father was raising was affiliated with the kingdom to the north. There would be several devil incidents near the border between the two kingdoms, and Asta would “disappear” for days, or sometimes weeks, to investigate every incident. Asta would report to Fuegoleon, the Wizard King, of his findings after each investigation. The two had concluded that it would be best for the Magic Knights to focus most of their efforts on training for an upcoming war. Yet, as the months passed, neither side had dared to make a move. It was as if King Abaddon was waiting for the right moment to strike, leaving the Clover Kingdom on high alert. It had been when the devil incidents became more frequent and occurred near the borders to the Heart and Diamond Kingdoms, straining Asta’s efforts, that Fuegoleon had found that he needed to create an inter-kingdom alliance if he hoped to find a way to defeat the creatures of the Underworld that could only be stopped by one man alone.

That was where he was now: in his office, signing the final documents to a treaty proposal for both the Heart and Diamond Kingdoms. Fuegoleon knew that it wouldn’t be too difficult in convincing the other kingdoms to an alliance. This was thanks to Amon, who had confirmed that there were devils sent to the other kingdoms as well and like in Clover, their incidents had begun to pick up in frequency in the past couple of days. He heard a knock at the door. Sensing the two familiar manas, Fuegoleon permitted the guard stationed at his door to allow the two in. He smiled at the sight of his little brother and Asta holding hands as they walked in with Nala right behind. He glanced at the guard to signal to him to leave. Once he felt the guard’s mana fade away, indicating that he was far enough so that he couldn’t hear, Fuegoleon greeted the two, “Asta, Leo, thank you for coming.” Nala came bounding over without her master’s consent and started licking Fuegoleon’s face. “Hello, baby girl,” Fuegoleon greeted as he pushed her head away and settled on scratching her ears. Fuegoleon had found that the albino lioness was quite fond of him and though she could be a little too much at times, Fuegoleon’s heart just couldn’t take the cuteness to reprimand her like he usually would anyone else.

“Good morning, Fuego,” Asta chuckled as he saw Nala playfully bite Fuegoleon’s hand. “Why did you call us so early in the morning? I sure hope it’s not to ask about our wedding plans…” he sighed. Despite already being engaged to the man he loved, Asta and Leo had decided that it would best to delay the wedding for a couple of reasons. One had been the fact that Asta had tackled more responsibilities as a Magic Knight and although he had a passion for the job, the mountains of paperwork had just been overwhelming to the point that Leo would sometimes have to carry him out of his office so that he could get a proper night’s sleep. Another reason had been the fact that their relationship was still ripe and the proposal had been so sudden that he and Leo thought it was best to postpone the wedding until they felt the time was right. The biggest reason, though, had been the fact that Asta wanted to fix things up with Yuno, which was already difficult as it was thanks to their conflicting schedules with Asta being a vice-captain and captain of two squads while also being a private investigator. 

If Asta was being honest, not much has improved between him and Yuno. He could blame the scheduling conflicts, but Asta could sense that Yuno was distancing himself more, which was probably due to the fact that the man still loved him despite knowing that he was already engaged to another. Asta would always have Finral comfort Yuno whenever he couldn’t, which honestly hadn’t been a good decision because it had only seemed to make Yuno distance himself more--probably because he had wanted Asta to comfort him. Nevertheless, Asta was thankful for his dirty-blonde big brother because Finral was more than patient with Yuno, but the fact that Finral still hadn’t confessed and Yuno was still so dense about his feelings for him pissed everyone around them off. The two had the worst cases of unrequited love in history. At some point, Asta was probably going to just intervene for the two because this was getting out of hand, and Asta needed his two bridesmaids happy if he was going to have a goddamn wedding.

Fuegoleon sighed and made a butterfly with his fire magic to have Nala chase it around the room. It was another quiet signal among the three that the reason for their meeting was about serious matters, so he couldn’t have Nala all up in his face. As if on cue, Leo and Asta took their seats at his desk and hardened their expressions, awaiting Fuegoleon’s introduction to the matter. “Clearly, you two have already received the message that what Amon had told us about the devils’ presence in the Heart and Diamond Kingdoms has been confirmed by our spies.” Asta and Leo nodded at him. He rolled up the two parchments, burning his seal onto them to keep them rolled up, and handed one that had the Heart Kingdom’s royal seal on it to Leo and the other that had the Diamond Kingdom’s royal seal on it to Asta. “I am proposing an inter-kingdom alliance between Clover, Diamond, and Heart in the hopes that we might triple our efforts in finding a way to combat Spade. Asta, I’m having you go to the Diamond King since you are close to a higher official named Mars. This means that Leo, you’ll have to convince the Heart Queen to take up the offer. I have a feeling that the Heart Queen will be easier to convince since we have had better relations with her people than the Diamond King. Do you have any questions?” Neither of the two had questions whenever Fuegoleon was serious. It was a silent respect for the man’s tactical prowess. So with that, the two stood up, saluted him, called Nala over, and headed out to prepare for their missions.

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_Months later, nighttime_

As another year of his and Asta’s lives had gone by, Yuno had distanced himself more. The recent past was repeating itself again in Yuno’s mind and heart. It had started when Leo proposed to Asta--mere weeks after Yuno had lost his self-control and snapped at the man he loved. But this time around, it was worse--much, much worse. Thankfully, though, he still had Finral to sleep next to him every night and with his position as captain and Langris’s improving relationship with his older brother, Yuno had been able to have Finral all to himself for entire days whenever he wasn’t out on a mission with the Black Bulls. That, along with his duty as a captain, had helped to suppress the thoughts and dark feelings he had been harboring yet again for Asta. He didn’t know if Asta was thinking the same thing, but Yuno thought that their relationship had barely improved. This was all Yuno’s doing, however, because he was distancing himself from Asta. This was because whenever he was near Asta, the pain in his heart sharpened more and the voices in his head would come back, louder than ever before--signs that at any moment, Yuno would snap at him again.

It was when Asta had left for the Diamond Kingdom to train its soldiers with Mars after having helped create an inter-kingdom alliance against the Spade Kingdom that Yuno finally knew what he had to do. In order to protect the man he loved, his hero, his knight in shining armor, he had to take the Spade Kingdom throne. It was the only way to stop the war and, hopefully, bring peace to the four kingdoms. So, Yuno had set out to prepare for his departure while Asta was gone, which was where he was now: packing his belongings in his room. He wanted to be swift--cut all ties with everyone before they even had a chance to convince him to stay because, knowing them, they probably would have been able to make him stay. He ignored the hand of guilt that squeezed his broken heart. _Because that’s what kings do_ , he reminded himself. Kings would make the decision that would be best for their kingdom, setting aside their own opinions and emotions for the greater good. He could do that--he has been doing that all his life for one man that could never love him like he did. He had set aside his feelings for Asta so that he could see him happy because that was all that was important to Yuno--seeing Asta happy...even if it wasn’t with him.

Once he finished packing, he sat down and clutched at the fabric of his old, black long-sleeved shirt where his heart was. He reflected on the memories that accompanied this shirt. The tears, the sweat, the blood, the other bodily fluid from Revchi, who had been thankfully executed without Asta’s knowledge. Asta had had the shirt sewn by Sister Lily as his seventeenth birthday gift for him, knowing full-well that Yuno preferred simple gifts that held larger meanings. Yuno, on the other hand, had given Asta nothing because one, Yuno couldn’t think of a gift, and two, Asta didn’t want a gift, claiming that he had what he already needed--whatever that meant. He sighed and stood up to make his bed for the last time. He folded his captain’s cape and placed it neatly near the foot of the bed. He rearranged the furniture to how he had remembered it to be when he had first stepped into the room. He wiped a speck of dust that he had noticed was on the table. He wiped another spot of dust...and then another...and then another...he was stalling. Why was he stalling? Hadn’t he already decided that this was the right course of action? “Just get it over with, Yuno,” he muttered to himself.

With that, he turned off the lights to his room for the last time. He called up his broom and opened the French doors that led to his balcony. That was when he was met by a stern-faced Leo and a grim-faced Finral. In his impassive tone, he asked, “What are you two doing here?” Thanks to his job as a captain, he had gotten better at maintaining his composure despite every fiber in his being screaming at him to capture Finral in a bone-crushing hug. He hated seeing Finral sad. It didn’t suit him.

“I hope that what Finral told me isn’t true,” Leo said as he stared directly at Yuno’s eyes. Life had been kind to him lately because he had two major growth spurts in the span of months that had him at nearly the same height as Yuno, who had barely grown since they first met.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yuno lied easily.

“Don’t lie to me, Yuno. Just tell me--is what Finral said true? That you’re planning to leave to become the Spade Kingdom’s king?” Leo asked calmly. His training in the Heart Kingdom had helped him to control his hot-temper better to the point that he rarely snapped at people now. It was growing difficult, though, to not strangle Yuno, especially when Finral had so abruptly taken him to him after Leo had just arrived minutes ago from the Heart Kingdom. He was glad he had finished his training before Asta had because then he really would have strangled Yuno for being so selfish.

“Yes,” Yuno answered tersely without batting an eye. Inside, though, his heart felt like it was going through a wringer as he saw Finral cringe at the short answer.

“You know what this could do to Asta, right? He wa-” was all Leo could say before Yuno cut him off.

“What I’m doing is _for_ Asta, Leo. I’m becoming king so that I can end this war between my kingdom and the other three,” Yuno hissed.

Leo was caught off-guard by Yuno’s change in mood because he had grown accustomed to his aloof demeanor since they had started getting onto “friendlier” terms. It didn’t surprise him, though, that what he was doing was for Asta--the man still loved him despite being engaged to Leo. But the question was: Is Yuno doing the right thing? Emotionally, no--this would devastate Asta if he found out that Yuno had left him...again, breaking their promise. But logically, yes--Yuno was doing the right thing, plain and simple. Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to regret what he was going to say, but his older brother’s words rang louder in his head, _We must do everything we can to fight for a cause that is greater than ourselves_ . That was what Yuno was doing right now. Leo sighed, “What’s your plan when I have to _lie_ to Asta?”

Yuno winced. Leo was right--if he had any hope of making his plans come into fruition, he needed to fool Asta. _This is for Asta, for my hero, for the man I love_ , he reminded himself. He straightened himself and said, “Just tell him that I’m out on a mission to train and get stronger or something. He’ll believe it.” Not once in the conversation did he dare to turn to Finral again because Yuno’s resolve would have broken the instant he locked onto those amethyst-colored eyes. He sidestepped Leo and was about to hop off the balcony until Finral grabbed his wrist and spun him back around and like he had predicted, Yuno’s resolve broke as he saw the tears that were welling in Finral’s eyes.

Finral, who had been quiet the entire conversation, stared at Yuno, silently pleading him to not leave him. It looked like the message had gotten to him because Yuno averted his gaze only to return with a pleading look of his own. Finral was never good at convincing Yuno when he was this stubborn, and this time wouldn’t be an exception. He needed to let Yuno go...for now. But he needed to ask one important question before he would let him leave. In a quivering voice, he asked, “Y-Yuno...p-please a-answer my question. G-Grant me this b-before you leave...Will y-you ever be able to...l-love a-another man?”

For once in a long time, Yuno was on the verge of tears. But he quickly blinked them away, remembering the promise he had made a long time ago that he would never cry again. He needed to grant Finral the request because he deserved it for putting up with a mess like him for so long, sticking by his side even after finding out the horrible things he had said to Asta months ago. So, he steeled his nerves and took in a shaky breath. He exhaled, “T-There’s only one man that I’ll ever love.” There was and it was Asta...right? So why did it feel like ten thousand arrows were shot through his heart as he said them to Finral?

Finral closed his eyes as he took the words in. He could sense the uncertainty in Yuno’s voice and with that uncertainty, there was hope for Finral. As he tried to process his next words carefully, a single tear fell down his cheek. He opened his eyes to gaze back at those amber-colored ones that he had fallen in love with so long ago. He smiled warmly at him and said calmly, “Be the king you were meant to be, Yuno...and when you come back...I’ll be right here, waiting for you.” _I love you, sleepy head_ , Finral thought.

“W-What d-do you mean, Fin-” was all Yuno could say before he felt Finral’s warm lips on his forehead. _And why do those words sound so familiar?_ Yuno wondered. He closed his eyes as memories of when he was eight years old came flooding back into his mind. He leaned into the warm feeling this time, though...until it was gone. When he opened his eyes, Finral and Leo were gone. He clutched at his chest and whispered to himself, “F-Finral…” After minutes of trying to understand what Finral meant, Yuno resigned himself to hop on his broom and leave.

And the rest, as many say, was history. Asta wasn’t devastated, though. He wanted answers, so whenever he had the time, he would go out and search for Yuno. Many of the devil incidents gave him clues that led him closer to the truth but at every turn, Yuno, who had become demon-possessed, would leave him with more clues that maintained the distance between him and Asta. But Asta never gave up. He always looked for Yuno. He looked for Yuno the moment he found out that Leo was lying...but he was never there. He looked for Yuno at his wedding...but he was never there. He looked for Yuno at his baby shower...but he was never there. He looked for Yuno after he had given birth to his triplets...but he was never there. And when he finally found him...it was too late...or so he thought.

_Black Bulls’ Base, Ruins_

_Yuno’s Mind_

_After Yuno and Asta leave Amon and Abaddon_

Amon had finally finished eating Abaddon and with it, he rehinged his jaw, licking his lips of the blood. He could feel the power coursing through his veins...but he wasn’t going to use it in the way his father would have wanted him to. He looked through Yuno’s eyes and saw Asta beginning the ritual to cast the two forbidden spells in his grimoire. His features softened as his grey-haired host smiled at his foster-brother. Then, like he had planned, he crossed his legs and clapped his arms together, concentrating his father’s power into the most forbidden spell he knew. He opened his eyes and saw that Asta had just casted the spells and was using the last of his humanity to send a message to Yuno. Amon spoke as if Asta could hear him, **_Even if I cannot see my dream come true, we are enough, Asta. We are living proof that it was possible for humans and demons to co-exist. That’s why I’m going to use this spell and help see_ ** **your** **_dream come true. To hell with mine--yours is more important. We must do what we can so that your dream does not end up like mine_ ** . He saw Asta begin to turn into stone, prompting him to recite, **_Forbidden Demon Magic: Abaddon’s Heavenly Mercy_ **. With that, he felt his father’s power leave him as he was sucked back into Asta’s stone body.

End of Flashback 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone else feel bad for Finral? Just me? Ok.


	32. Chapter 32

_Royal Capital_

_Dungeon - Yuno’s Cell_

_The morning after his trial_

The same events that had led up to Yuno being blinded by the star seemed to repeat themselves, leading to the moment when Yuno awoke from his seemingly never-ending dream. He sat up and rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of his system. Then, the memories of the dream flooded back into him. He pulled his hair and screamed in agony as the memories of everything that he had dreamt bombarded his mind. As the effects began to subside, Yuno sorted through every memory, skipping all the way to the most recent--the most important memory. It was the memory he needed to defend himself. Although it was mere speculation, he had enough proof to show that Asta may not have died. If he could prove that...then the charges would have to be dropped...and then... _and then I can do what I promised Asta I would do_ , he thought. But how could he prove it if the stone statue of his beloved was in the Library of the Ancients? In fact, where the hell was the Library of the Ancients? He was snapped out of his thoughts when the door to his cell was opened.

“Stand, royal scum,” Solid sneered.

Yuno managed a smile. He knew what was going to happen. “Good morning, Nebra, Ruben,” he greeted. He stood up and fixed his hair.

Ruben shuddered at the smile and casual greeting. Who did this murderer think he was? He, along with Solid, shuddered again as he saw Yuno smile again and offer his wrists to be cuffed. Ruben walked over and snapped the cuffs over Yuno’s wrist, adjusting its circumference so that it was too tight for Yuno. But to his surprise, Yuno looked unfazed. _The audacity of such a criminal_ , he thought. He pushed Yuno’s back to make him start walking.

As they walked out to the exit, Yuno smiled at Theo and Rachel and gave them a nod, who kindly returned the gesture. Without looking over his shoulder, he asked rhetorically, “Where are you taking me? As a prisoner...I have the right to know.”

_Somewhere in the Royal Capital_

_Near the Magic Parliament_

Solid felt like he was going to throw up at how Yuno was acting. Solid was never a good person until he turned over a new leaf recently, but at least he knew when he was in the wrong because unlike, Yuno, he actually had a soul. Swallowing back the vomit that had climbed its way up his throat as a pile of feces that was thrown by an angry bystander barely missed Yuno as they were making their way through the streets, he decided to answer the criminal’s question that he had asked minutes ago. “You are being taken back to the Magic Parliament to be sentenced by his Majesty, King Augustus.”

Yuno chuckled, making everyone, including Solid and Ruben flinch back in fear. “Everyone knows that King Augustus sucks as a king...so can’t we just call him Augustus? The man doesn’t deserve the tit-” was all Yuno could say before he stiffened. The memories that he was going to use as proof suddenly became hazy. He fought to clear them up, but they just suddenly disappeared. _What was I going to say again?_ he wondered. It was something that was supposed to help him so that the charges would be dropped...but what was _it_? He was taken out of his thoughts once more as Solid opened the doors to the Magic Parliament and Ruben pushed him in.

With their escort mission complete, Ruben sneered, “And you think a murderer like you deserves the title of king?” After that, he and Solid closed the doors, allowing the hooded mages to take Yuno to the Magic Parliament. He was glad he didn’t have to guard that royal scum anymore because any second longer, he would’ve slit his throat.

_Somewhere in Clover Kingdom_

_Library of the Ancients_

_As Yuno is escorted to the Magic Parliament for sentencing_

There was no one around. Julius and the others had gone back to the Magic Parliament to hear the deliberations on Yuno’s trial. That was when the statue of Asta crumbled to reveal a living, breathing Asta.

Asta collapsed to the ground, heaving for breath. He felt like he had been holding his breath for days. As he tried to steady his breathing, he looked around and saw books on top of books that were surrounded by floating books. The place smelled musty and looked like it was falling apart. The only indication of someone having been here was three empty tea cups and one half-full. He wasted no time and drank the last of the tea, feeling like his throat was as dry as a desert. He choked a little when it tasted like cigarettes. _Captain Yami was probably here_ , he concluded. He muttered under his breath, “Is this what Heaven is supposed to look like? Because God really needs to consult with an interior decorator.” He heard a familiar cackle in his mind. _Amon!?_ he yelled at the demon. **_Yeah, what’s up, kid?_** Amon cooed. _How the fuck did a devil make it into Heaven!? Isn’t that against the rules or something?_ Asta asked as he began walking around the unfamiliar place in search of a clue. He winced when Amon roared in laughter. **_Nope, kid. You’re not in Heaven_** , Amon answered between chuckles. Asta dropped the book he was holding and covered his mouth. _Am I in Hell?_ Asta asked shakily. **_Nope, kid...Hell actually has some class than this stupid old library_** , Amon sighed, **_Look, kid. You’ve got no time. You’re alive, damnit. I’ll explain to you on the way back to the Royal Capital because your foster-brother is about to be executed for your murder_**. That was all Asta needed. He didn’t have time to question if Amon was messing with him or not, so he activated his **Demon Light Magic: Apollo’s Arrow** and zoomed straight for the Magic Parliament.

_Royal Capital_

_Magic Parliament_

_Yuno’s Trial_

_As Asta makes his way_

Yuno was at a loss for words. He didn’t know how he was going to defend himself now. He thought that he had a plan, but somehow, it backfired before he even set it into motion...mainly because he didn’t remember what exactly his plan was. He looked up at the balcony where his orphanage family was sitting next to the Vermillions. All of them, even Leo, looked disturbed by the silence that was only filled with the crying of his three nephews that wouldn’t stop despite Fuegoleon, Marisol, and Leo’s attempts at soothing them; it seemed as if they knew what was happening. He looked back at the balcony where the fat bastard that was the king was standing, smiling down at him as he played with his mustache. It reminded him of the same day that he had declared Asta guilty and ordered his execution. But unlike that day, Yuno would have no Leo to save him by proposing to him. Even if he did...no one would want him anyway.

He didn’t notice, though, that there was a certain dirty-blonde that was sitting higher up in the balconies, sitting in a section designated for the House Vaude next to his brother Langris. Finral clutched at his chest as Yuno clutched at his. He was crying softly as Langris rubbed his back soothingly. This was it. This was going to be the last time he would see the man he loved. What was worse, though...what was an infinite number of times worse...was that he never got to say those four words. Those four, simple words that would’ve conveyed to the raven-haired boy that he meant the world to him. He wished he was a descendant of the first Wizard King because he would’ve ended this madness in an instant.

King Augustus grinned at the disgruntled expression of his rival to the north. Not only that, apparently, he was close to the peasant royal that was murdered. _What was his name again? Asta? Yes, it was Asta--Asta Vermillion_ , he wondered. He was disgusted by the thought of being related to some peasant. Maybe this was fate giving him another chance to rid his kingdom of another peasant, even if said peasant was actually a royal...because once a peasant, always a peasant. He cleared his throat to catch everyone’s attention. There was that lovely feeling of having all eyes on him. He enjoyed the attention a little longer before he declared in a squeaky voice, “King Yuno Grinberryall of the Spade Kingdom, after careful deliberation on my part as king of the Clover Kingdom, I, Augustus Kira Clover XIII, by the power invested in me, hereby find you...guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for the murder of Asta Vermillion. I sentence you to your immediate execution...Guards!” With that, five hooded mages raised their hands and prepared to execute Yuno.

Yuno hung his head in defeat as the crying of his nephews only grew louder. He closed his eyes as tears began to fall and the mages fired their execution spell at Yuno. He said a silent prayer before he whispered under his breath, “I’m sorry, Asta...I’ve failed you again.” He prepared for his death. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe...he and Asta could finally be together in the afterlife without anyone being in their way. That was when he heard a crashing noise that sounded like glass shattering and then came the accompanying gasps and screams. He lifted his head up and stared wide-eyed because there, right in front of him, stood a familiar head of ash-blonde hair, wearing a Crimson Lion Kings cape and pointing a pitch-black shortsword that glowed white at the five hooded mages that were kneeling before the figure. _It can’t be...No...he’s dead_ , Yuno thought.

Asta looked over his shoulder and gave Yuno a toothy grin. “Hey, Yuno. Giving up already?”

“ASTA!” yelled practically everyone in the building. Some people fainted, others stared owlishly, mouth agape as they were trying to rub their eyes, not believing what their eyes were processing as a real image. Leo almost dropped Amaleo had it not been for the playful baby grabbing at his braid. Fuegoleon actually dropped Attileo, who was swiftly caught by Leonard before he could hit the ground. Marisol was almost suffocating Agnoleo as she clutched the baby tight to her chest had it not been for Mereleona tapping her on the shoulder and scolding her.

Asta cleared his throat to get everyone to snap out of their shock. “As much as it warms my heart to know that so many people know my name, I’d like to ask his Majesty why he ordered my foster-brother’s execution?” he asked calmly, looking up at the king, who was just as baffled as everyone else.

In a squeaky, fearful voice, Augutus answered, “H-He is g-guilty for y-y-your murder.” Just what was going on?

Asta smirked. He turned his attention to Damnatio, who was paler than usual. “Lord Damnatio, if I may ask, would it be unlawful for a person to be charged with a crime that he didn’t commit?” Damnatio nodded at him, unable to say a word as all his collectedess diminished at the sight of Asta’s living body. Asta added, “And even if King Yuno Grinberryall did commit murder...would it be unlawful to charge him with the crime if the victim didn’t die?”

Damnatio’s coolness returned. Asta had messed up. Damnatio smiled and said, “Quite the contrary, Lord Asta.” He saw Asta raise his eyebrow inquisitively. “Although it may be unlawful for a person to charged with a crime they didn’t commit...it is still justified for a person to be charged with _attempted_ murder.”

Asta laughed, making Damnatio bewildered. _Not this time, Damnatio_ , Asta thought. “It seems your skills as a lawyer have dulled a bit, Lord Damnatio, because doesn’t one of the fundamental rules of law state that, under the Clover Kingdom’s judicial laws, a person can only be tried for the crimes he was accused of?” He winked at Julius, who was smiling and shaking his head in amusement. There were certain advantages to being Julius’s private investigator with one of them being that he had the pleasure of receiving quick lessons on politics and the law of the land.

Damnatio pinched the bridge of his nose. Asta was correct. How could he have forgotten something so simple? He conceded, “Yes, you are correct, Lord Asta. King Yuno Grinberryall can only be charged for _committing_ the act of murder.” He raised his hand up, knowing that Asta was just going to play with him in order to make himself look even more like a fool. “Before you say it, yes, it is unlawful to charge King Yuno with murder if you were not murdered...but may I address the elephant in the room?” He looked up to see Asta nod. “How is that you are...how do I put this...alive?”

Asta raised his hand to calm the whispers and shouts of approval at Damnatio’s question. It was empowering to know that he had such a respected presence that people, even royals and nobles, would quiet for him. “Alright, sit back and relax, everyone, because almost _none_ of you will understand what I’m about to say.” He paused as he waited for people to finish shifting in their seats. He rolled his eyes--he couldn’t believe people actually took that literally. Asta took a deep breath and exhaled, “After the battle with the Elves, I was given the chance to speak with the leader of the Elves, Licht, who had disclosed that my grimoire was given two forbidden magic spells. He had warned me that I should only use the two spells as a last resort. In secret, I had read over these two spells-- **Forbidden Magic: Sacrificial Rebirth** and **Age of Enlightenment** . The first spell trades the caster’s soul for as many souls as he could connect with. Simply put, my soul is sacrificed to revive the souls of the recently deceased. Fast forward to the devil attack on the Royal Capital days ago, I amplified the connective effects by stabbing myself with Yuno, or should I say, King Abaddon’s, Demon-Dweller Sword, which connected him to all the demons and demon-possessed that were once human souls. As a result, I was able to revive the souls of the victimized humans and banish the demonic souls back to the Underworld.” He turned back to Yuno, who was still crying but also awestruck by his explanation. “I’m sure some of you are wondering why you have been having dreams as if you were in somebody else’s body. For some of you, it may have been hazy dreams, but to others, like you, Yuno,” Asta said, cupping Yuno’s cheek as he wiped his tears with his thumb, “experienced far more vivid dreams.” He turned back to address the people of the building, who were nodding in agreement, appearing to actually understand Asta. “There’s a reason for that. But first, let me explain the second spell. It was supposed to be my parting gift to you all because I had thought I was going to die. You see, **Age of Enlightenment** , in exchange for the pages of my grimoire, using my Demon-Destroyer Sword, allowed me to taint everyone’s mana with negative mana, which as some of you may know, is required to kill a demon and combat their otherworldly magic unless you already possess an arcane-stage magic. Again, the effect was amplified because I had stabbed myself with Abaddon’s Demon-Dweller Sword, which by then, had connected me with _human_ souls. Now, as for why you all have been experiencing seemingly never-ending dreams, a side effect of **Age of Enlightenment** was that all those affected shared memories with each other because, in essence, you were all connected by my mana.” He turned back to Yuno. “And the reason why you, Yuno, have been experiencing the most vivid dreams is due to the combined side effects of the two spells. Along with the side effects of **Age of Enlightenment** , the side effect of **Sacrificial Rebirth** is that my soul, which also held my memories and my mana, which the latter was connected to everyone else’s souls, and thus their mana and memories, latched on to the soul with which I shared the strongest bond.” He sighed and turned to Damnatio, who was trying to process everything. “As for your question on how it is I’m alive, it’s thanks to my demon friend, Amon, who used the most forbidden magic, **Forbidden Demon Magic: Abaddon’s Heavenly Mercy** , to save me. Before I explain, it’s important that you all know that when someone dies, the soul is the first to go, according to Amon. As for the spell, Amon took over my body when it was devoid of my soul and sacrificed another soul for the **Sacrificial Rebirth** \--Abaddon’s. He then used the days that I had turned into stone to return my soul to my body, which is another effect of the forbidden demon spell. The moment my soul returned to my body, my memories and mana returned with it, which explains why, you, Yuno,” he glanced over his shoulder, “did not have a single recollection of what had happened the night prior.” Asta decided it was best to not add in the detail of _how_ Amon was able to use that spell. He added for the last time, “Oh, and I think the explanation as to how Lord Julius reverted back to his original age was because I was holding my Demon-Destroyer Sword, which might have been responsible for releasing his fate of reverting back in age.”

“Huh!?” everyone gasped.

Asta facepalmed. “I told you none of you would understand.” He sighed and turned to Damnatio, “Could you just just drop the charges already? I want to get out of my clothes, take a nice, long shower, and be with my babies.” He glanced up and waved at Leo, who was holding onto Agnoleo and Amaleo while he cried like an ugly baby. _He was never a pretty crier_ , Asta thought, sweat-dropping.

Damnatio, whose brain hurt as he tried to keep processing what Asta had said, gave up and threw his hands up in the air. “Fuck it, Yuno’s free to go.” The building erupted in laughter and cheered loudly at Damnatio’s loss of composure and declaration that Yuno was absolved of his crimes. “Silence!” Damnatio’s voice boomed, making the entire room fall silent. He added, “I’ll have you know, Lord Asta, that despite being absolved of his crimes, Yuno cannot reassume his position as a Magic Knight captain because it would be scandalous. I’m sure you understand.”

Asta nodded. Damnatio had a point. It would tarnish the good name of the Magic Knights to have a former king, who had technically committed genocide, return to managing his former squad. A light bulb flickered on in his head. He turned back to Yuno and smiled. “Yuno, how would you like to become a Crimson Lion King?”

_You can’t be serious_ , Yuno thought. He couldn’t believe it...Asta still thought the same way he was thinking. It was unthinkable. Yuno sighed and smiled softly, “If it’s alright with Leo, then yes.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’ll be a problem, right, Leo, my love?” Asta shouted as he tilted his head at his husband. He saw Leo open his mouth to contradict until Asta added, “I’ll give you the ‘extra, special prize.” Asta winked at Leo, whose nose began to bleed in excitement. Leo nodded excitedly. Neither of them noticed the choking sound that Finral was making in another section of the building. Asta walked up to Yuno and smiled at him as he chopped the anti-magic bindings that were on his body. Yuno was about to capture Asta in a hug until Asta pointed his sword at him, making him freeze in his spot and put his hands up. “Not so fast, you handsome idiot. Don’t you dare move a fucking muscle.” With that, Asta placed his Demon-Dweller Sword back into his grimoire and cracked his knuckles as he grinned menacingly at Yuno, who gulped. Asta ignored the whispers of Yuno dying after all as Asta lifted his hand, retracted it, and...smacked Yuno right across the face. “That’s for leaving me again,” he then backhanded Yuno on the other cheek, “That’s for not being at my wedding,” he then fronthanded Yuno on the other side, “That’s for not being at my baby shower,” he then backhanded Yuno again, “And that’s for not holding my hand when I had to push out three little monsters.” Yuno looked like he was about to say something, but Asta stopped him again to plant a kiss on his forehead, “That’s for never giving up,” he went down lower and kissed the tip of his nose, “And that’s for finally having the balls to admit that you love me.”

Yuno was blushing a dark shade of red. He whimpered shyly, “W-What about the lips?” It was selfish of him, he knew, and probably wrong on so many levels because Asta was married with three kids, but he was so close.

“I think there’s somebody else who’s here to fulfill that wish,” Asta chuckled as he nodded at the dirty-blonde that had just stepped through a portal behind Yuno.

Yuno felt a familiar mana and turned to see Finral crying and smiling at him. Yuno couldn’t help but cup his cheek into his hand, humming as he saw Finral lean into the touch. “F-Finral...w-what are you doing here?” he asked quietly. And why was his chest fluttering as he felt Finral cup his cheek into his hand and wipe Yuno’s tears?

“I missed you, sleepy head,” Finral cooed. “As for why I’m here...it’s time I do something that I’ve been meaning to do almost five years ago.”

“What do y-” was all Yuno could say before he felt Finral’s warm, soft lips crash onto his in a bruising, desperate kiss. As they continued to kiss, every second, a sweet memory would come back to him--Finral looking at him like he was the only important person in the room, Finral chuckling at his sarcasm, Finral holding him tight every night, Finral offering himself any way he could to make him feel better. Yuno could feel heat rising up to his cheeks as he jumped onto Finral, who caught him in his arms as Yuno wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist. As they parted for breath, Yuno returned the kiss but this one was softer, yet held the same amount of passion. As they kept kissing like that, the face of the man in his dreams began to reveal itself in the back of Yuno’s mind--dirty-blonde hair with green-highlighted tips and amethyst-colored eyes. It fit perfectly with the body of the mystery man. It was perfect. Finral was perfect. Finral was the man of his dreams.

As their lips parted for the last time, Finral rested his forehead on Yuno’s and confessed breathily the four simple words that he had been waiting to say for such a long, long time, “I love you, Yuno.”

Yuno giggled like a schoolgirl, something that he never did ever since he and Asta had grown up. He kissed Finral again before he said breathily, “I love you, Finral.” With that, the whole room erupted in cheers. Yuno glanced up to see Mimosa and Klaus, who were both holding each other as they cried tears of joy. He glanced behind his shoulder at Asta, who was grinning at him knowingly while he held two white bundles of flesh next to Leo, who was holding a third bundle of flesh.

Finral kissed Yuno’s cheek to get his attention again. When Yuno turned around, his smile was so wide that it touched his ears. Finral kissed him on the lips again because God were those lips amazing. Finral whispered what he was going to say so that only Yuno could hear him, “So, sleepy head...we’ve known each other for a long time already...and now that we know that we love each other...will you marry me?”

Yuno felt his heart pounding in his chest. Was he ready for marriage? If it was with Finral, he’d be ready anytime. Still, he scoffed and hit Finral’s chest playfully. “Take me on a proper date and I’ll _consider_ your offer, Finral Roulacase.”

“Of course, how could I be so careless?” Finral chuckled. Then, he whispered in Yuno’s ear, “I’m so fucking ready to make you Mr. Yuno Grinberryall Roulacase.” He bit his ear, earning him a yelp.

Yuno was blushing a deeper shade of red. But two could play at that game. He leaned over to whisper seductively into Finral’s ear, “If you don’t wanna fuck me in front of this crowd, then I suggest you don’t play these games with me, Finral. I’m sure Asta has told you of how _horny_ I am. Get me?” He felt Finral shudder and nod.

While this was happening, Asta could feel something touch his behind. Without batting an eye Asta threatened, “Leo, if that’s your hand, I swear to God…”

Leo retracted his hand and settled for pulling Amaleo’s hands away from his braid. “I can’t believe you don’t want to do it after you decided to make me a widower for like three days,” he complained as he tickled Amaleo’s neck so that he would let go of his braid, unable to hold back the smile as he heard the little Vermillion giggle.

Asta looked up at Leo wantonly, who shuddered at his gaze. “Who said I was planning to leave you in the dark? Didn’t I say that I was going to take a shower?” Leo nodded, nose bleeding as he seemed to already be following along. “Why don’t _we_ take a shower and have Mother and Father take care of the babies for the _entire_ night?”

  
 _Christ above, help me_ , Leo prayed as he felt his dick already ache at the thought of going at it all-night. He nodded his head slowly. The sex monster had returned...and with that, the Vermillions and the soon-to-be Roulacases retreated to the Vermillion Estate for a very, very, very loud night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if you understood my explanation behind the spells. I spent a good day trying to find a suitable train of thought for them. 
> 
> If there’s anyone who thinks that Finral didn’t deserve to be with Yuno or ask for his hand so suddenly—kiss my ass and fight me.
> 
> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As they say in English, prepare for the waterworks...Ok maybe none of you might cry, but I know I did (biased but who cares?)

_Royal Capital_

_Vermillion Estate - Asta and Leo’s Room_

_Day of the Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam, nighttime_

It had been months now since that eventful day. Time had seemed to be able to mend the old wounds that had scarred Asta and Yuno’s relationship. Additionally, the people of the Royal Capital and Clover Kingdom had slowly, but surely, accepted Yuno back into their ranks as one of their own, leaving his dark past as Spade King behind them. Yuno had surprisingly been a perfect fit for the boisterous squad that was the Crimson Lion Kings, claiming that they were just like “mini-Astas” that needed to be tamed. In reality, though, it had been Yuno that needed to be tamed because after he and Finral had finally admitted their feelings for each other, the two went at it like dogs, fornicating at every chance they got. It hadn’t really helped that Finral had also transferred to the Crimson Lion Kings after he and Yuno had tied the knot. Well, to be fair, it hadn’t really helped anyone that hadn’t been Asta, Leo, or Finral because the two wedded couples would fill the Vermillion Estate with inappropriate profanities on a nightly basis.

At one point, though, after many sleepless nights, the Crimson Lion Kings had come to a decision that if they hoped to stay at the top, the wedded couples should at least rotate their...nightly routines. How? Simple: one couple would take care of the triplets while the other could do whatever in their rooms as they sound-proofed it with an ancient magic item. Leo, being the pervert that he was, had been extra horny one particular night, going as far as recommending a foursome, which was immediately turned down by Asta and Yuno because...no...just no.

As for the kids, they had grown to pick favorites among the four. Amaleo, who acted a lot like Asta with his carefree personality, would never eat unless his mother breastfed him, unlike the other two little lion cubs. Agnoleo, who had his father’s handsome features, would be nicknamed the “The Biter” because, as the name implied, he bit anything that he thought interesting with his favorite being Nala’s tail. As for his favorite person, it had obviously been the one from whom he inherited his features. Attileo acted a lot like Yuno when he was younger, crying non-stop unless, of course, Yuno rocked him to sleep. Where was Finral in all of this? Finral was the babies’ most favorite, but it would be because they had found themselves a playmate--Finral could never say no to playing with the little kids, sometimes skipping a good night’s sleep so that he could play with his nephews.

In terms of their duties as Magic Knights, other than the fact that Yuno was no longer a captain and Finral had transferred, nothing really changed. Asta continued training the Magic Knights as a whole, preparing them for devil sightings and the inevitable final battle between demons and humans that according to Amon, wouldn’t be for a while thanks to his and Asta’s use of three forbidden spells along with Abaddon’s death. 

Eventually, the yearly Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam would come around and this time, it had included Recca and Nash. As the two had seen their brother-figures in the stands, smiling down at them, the two knew they had to put on a show. That had been exactly what they did--Nash and Recca had aced every individual test, including the friendly duel with them coming out on top. Naturally, they still had many flaws that still had to be polished but the two had improved greatly, nonetheless, since Asta and Yuno had seen them. When the time had come for the offers, Leo had wasted no time in offering both Nash and Recca a spot in the Crimson Lion Kings. Nash, though he would never admit it, had wasted no time in picking the Crimson Lion Kings so that he could be with his Big Bro Asta despite receiving offers from the Black Bulls and Purple Orcas. Recca, who, not including the Crimson Lion Kings, had been offered a spot in the Blue Rose Knights, Silver Eagles, and Black Bulls, had chosen the Black Bulls, wanting to compete with Nash as the two had agreed to be rivals to become Wizard King (or Queen).

Yet both Asta and Yuno had noticed after the closing ceremonies that Nash had looked like something was bothering him. Unfortunately, neither of them could approach him as they were crowded by adoring fans of the Four-Leaf Brother duo. When they had had him sit next to them at the dining room in their headquarters during the welcome dinner, Nash wouldn’t budge, telling them that he’d let them know when he was ready, worrying the two foster-brothers even more. Eventually, the time would come for the new recruits and squad members to get some shut-eye. With that, Finral and Yuno had retreated to Asta and Leo’s room to play with the kids before they also went to bed, having decided it was best to...postpone their...nightly routines until the new recruits were acclimated. 

That was when Nash knocked at their door. Leo called him to allow him to enter. When he opened the door, he was still wearing the distressed look on his face, so Asta and Yuno had Leo and Finral on baby duty while they talked to their foster-sibling. Asta and Yuno sat him on the couch while they sat cross-legged on the floor. They waited in silence for Nash to speak. Yuno, who had been experiencing mood swings lately, broke the silence and said, “Nash, just get on with it will you?”

Nash didn’t like how frustrated his Big Bro Yuno was being with him, but he could understand why. It looked like Nash had put himself into an inescapable situation, forcing him into the conversation that he had been trying to avoid all day. He took out a red journal with a Spade Kingdom symbol on the center of the front cover and handed it over to Yuno. “I wanna make the explanation as short as possible. Recca and I had noticed ever since you two had appeared in Hage to save us from that elf dude that Father Orsi’s attitude towards you two changed. Instead of crying over how proud he was of you two, he became more solemn and detached. For example, anytime we would mention you, he would lock himself in his room for hours. Recca and I got suspicious when he spent almost an entire day in his room, so we used that magic item that made us invisible to sneak in. We didn’t see him in his room, but on his table was that book that was opened to a certain page...It’s a journal...I bookmarked the entry I wanted you two to see.”

Yuno looked at Asta, who looked as worried as he was. This was definitely the property of a Spade Kingdom citizen. What was more surprising was that when Yuno opened the front cover, it revealed the House Grinberryall crest--a raven wearing a crown that had the Spade Kingdom symbol in the center of it and holding a sword in its right talon. He showed it to Asta, who nodded at him to head to the bookmarked page. Yuno’s eyes grew wide as he skimmed the page that was definitely in Father Orsi’s writing. He handed it to Asta. “Read it.”

Asta took the book and held it in one hand while he pointed at the words to guide his eyes with the index finger of the other. He cleared his throat and read aloud:

“ _Dear Journal,_

_God has blessed me with the chance to witness Asta and Yuno fight alongside each other. The two looked like they had been battling by each other’s side for years. Although Asta could be a little quieter when he fought, he and Yuno form a deadly duo that, if trained properly, could be enough to take back the Spade Kingdom from King Abaddon’s treacherous claws. It makes me regret ever doing what I had done in the name of my king, Edmund Grinberryall. But it was the king’s wish to do what I needed to do to protect his sons. If only King Edmund could see them now, Yuno is the spitting image of his mother, while Asta, though looking nothing like either of his parents, inherited his father’s power. I can only hope that one day, I will be able to face them and tell them everything...but until that day arrives, I must maintain my ruse as a priest.”_

Asta closed the book and looked at Yuno, wide-eyed. “Y-Yuno…”

“A-Asta…” Yuno said breathily. He grabbed Asta’s hands and squeezed them. “Are we…”

“...Brothers?” Asta finished as he started to fiddle with his wedding ring, a habit he has whenever he gets apprehensive. Yuno started doing the same thing with his wedding ring. Asta slapped his hand. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” Yuno asked as he started fiddling with his wedding ring again.

“Doing what I’m doing, you handsome idiot!” Asta whisper-yelled, noticing that the kids and Nash had already fallen asleep.

“Well, why don’t you stop doing what I’m doing, you grey-haired dwarf!” Yuno whisper-yelled back.

“Why don’t you two stop doing anything and get some shut-eye,” Nash muttered groggily. He yawned and rested his head on his arms on the comfortable couch. “Let’s...just...visit...Father...tomorrow...or som…” was all he could say before he drifted to sleep.

Asta and Yuno snickered at Nash. “Well, I guess, he’s right,” Asta sighed.

“Yeah, he is, dumbass. While we’re at it, we should bring your kids and Nala so that the orphans could meet their nephews,” Yuno suggested.

“Don’t call me a dumbass, you handsome idiot!” Asta whisper-yelled. “Although...I couldn’t agree more with your suggestion.” With that, the two foster-brothers went to sleep on Asta and Leo’s bed with the babies in their cribs and the husbands forced to sleep on the floor. They had a big day ahead of them tomorrow.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church_

_The next day_

When the group had woken up, the atmosphere had grown tense as no one dared to speak. Thankfully, Mereleona had taken it upon herself to take the new recruits and other members of the Crimson Lion Kings to the hot springs to train. Marisol and Leonard had political business to settle at the Magic Parliament. With no one around, the silence had endured. Finral, who had already visited the village when he had asked Father Orsi and Sister Lily for Yuno’s hand in marriage, had been able to teleport the group as they were reluctant to take Asta’s demon lightarrow, claiming that the kids would get whiplash.

When they had arrived, they had been greeted with another tato breakfast, to Asta and Leo’s delight. After that, Sister Lily and Nash had taken the triplets to play outside with the orphans while Asta, Leo, Yuno, and Finral confronted Father Orsi. That was where they were now: in the living room of the church that was built thanks to Asta and Yuno’s patronage. Nala, who had decided to stick with the four, had seemed to grow an instant liking to the white-haired priest.

Like earlier that morning, the room fell silent while the four men waited on Father Orsi to speak. He was deep in his thoughts as he tried to contemplate how he could go about breaking the news. He figured that with the four’s busy schedules as Magic Knights, it would be best to just get to the point. He had already figured it out that Nash had stolen his journal the moment Asta and Yuno showed up at his door, wearing grim expressions on their faces. He sighed--this was not how he had planned to tell them, but here went nothing. “My real name is Sior Riofa. I basically jumbled up my name to get ‘Orsi Orfai’. Assuming that you two have seen my journal, I will keep my explanation short. I was the loyal servant to the king that escaped with his fraternal twins to Clover that Lady Marisol had told you about five years ago. I took up the ruse as a priest and exchanged all the money I had to build a church.”

Yuno shook his head in disagreement. “That can’t be true because Marisol said that one of the twi-” was all he could say before Father Orsi--Sior--cut him off.

“Forgery. I forged Asta’s death certificate to protect him,” Sior admitted.

Asta squeezed Yuno’s hand to control his anger. “Why would you do something like that, Father Orsi?”

“You and Yuno inherited your mother, Edmund’s, dual-affinity magic; he had affinities toward wind and sword. This had made you two forces to be reckoned with the moment you two were born, making you prime targets for assassination as well, so King Edmund had be try and seal away your magic one of your affinities. Unfortunately, I only had one ancient seal that could seal away Yuno’s sword magic. As for why I would do something like that, King Edmund ordered me to do everything I could to protect your identities, so without another seal, Asta had to ‘die’ because what Marisol had said about Abaddon chasing after you was real,” Sior calmly stated as he pet the albino lioness.

Asta thought this through carefully. If in the same position, would he have done the same thing? Probably. But there was one last thing that was nagging at him, and Yuno seemed to be picking up on it. They steeled their gaze on Sior and asked in unison, “Who’s our father?”

“I think Nimbus can answer that,” Sior chuckled as he pet the albino lioness, who was smiling at him.

“Uh...don’t you mean Nala? You’re touching Nala right now,” Asta corrected.

“Nope, Asta. This is Nimbus. He was a gift from your father to your mother when they first started dating. Among her many powers, she transcends time. When her master dies, she is reincarnated as a cub, searching for another master worthy of her. It seems she had lucked out when she had found her former master’s son,” Sior chuckled.

At this point, Asta and the three had seen and heard way too many things to be surprised by this, so Asta pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, “And how can Nala--Nimbus--answer a question that you could easily answer yourself?”

Sior smiled at that. “Asta, Yuno, you’re in for a big surprise. King Edmund showed me this so that he could see his beloved despite being separated by the centuries.” He gathered some of his fire magic on his fingers and tapped Nimbus’s head while reciting, “ **Sealing Magic Release: Astral Magic: Ancestral Tomb**.” With that, Nala growled and the occupants of the room were transported to what could be described as a starry night in Hage Village--everywhere, stars filled the dark void as it felt like they were floating.

Asta and Yuno looked around until they were blinded by two bright stars that took the form of a raven-haired male that looked exactly like Yuno, except for his heterochromic amber- and viridian-colored eyes, and a person that no one, except Sior, expected--the first Wizard King, grinning a toothy grin. Yuno felt like he had recognized that toothy grin from somewhere--it looked exactly like Asta’s. On the other hand, Asta noticed that the raven-haired male acted like Yuno--cool, calm, and collected, but giving that warm smile that only a select few were lucky enough to see. 

Lumière was the first to speak up, well, shout, “Oh, Eddy, look! It’s the boys!” He was going to capture his sons in a hug had it not been for a blushing Edmund punching him down on his head.

“I thought I told you that when we had our sons, you would never call me that in front of them!” Edmund reproached with a fiery temper that was definitely not inherited by Yuno. He turned to his sons, who were sweat-dropping. He floated over to them and placed a gentle kiss on their foreheads. “Hello, Yuno, Asta. It’s finally nice to meet you. I’m your mother, Edmund Grinberryall,” he cooed as he caressed his sons’ cheeks, who leaned into the touch. He glanced over his shoulder and shot Lumière a death glare, making him blanch. “Lumière get your ass over here and greet your sons, you handsome idiot!” he barked.

“Y-Yes, dear!” Lumière stuttered. He floated to his two sons, who were gawking at him. He grinned at them and ruffled their hair, making Yuno blush and pout and Asta giggle at the touch. They were definitely his sons. “I suppose I won’t have to reintroduce myself since I had the pleasure of fighting by your sides but in addition to my name, I’d like to let you know the obvious, which is that I’m your father.” He captured the two in a hug and began to cry crocodile tears. “This is the happiest day of my life!” he exclaimed.

“C-Can’t...breathe…” the brothers struggled to say in unison. With that, Lumière released his death grip on his sons and floated back to his lover, kissing him on the cheek, making Edmund blush a rose-pink. Asta and Yuno snickered at each other at the sight of their mother so flustered only to have their husbands kiss them on the cheek, making both of them blush a deep shade of red and slur incoherent words while their husbands looked at their respective husbands smugly.

“And who are these two?” asked Lumière and Edmund in unison, raising inquisitive brows.

“O-Oh, I almost forgot!” Asta shouted as he captured Leo in a headlock. “This handsome jerk is my husband, Leopold Vermillion.”

Yuno was a little more gentle with Finral as he returned his kiss on the cheek and rested his head on his shoulder. “And this loveable fellow is my husband, Finral Roulacase.”

“H-Husbands!?” the two parents exclaimed in surprise.

Yuno and Asta blushed at that. They were acting like overprotective parents already. Yuno sighed, “I suppose this is also the right time to say that we have kids.”

Asta arched an eyebrow and corrected, “Yuno, though I’m flattered that you consider my and Leo’s kids as your own, I’ll have you know that between the two of us, only _I_ have actual kids.”

“Not for long,” Finral said as he wrapped his arms around Yuno’s midsection, who grabbed his hands and smiled at him.

“Y-Yuno...does this mean...are you..?” Asta asked, unable to finish his sentence.

“Surprise...I’m pregnant,” Yuno said awkwardly.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait--are you two saying that I have grandkids!?” Lumière asked excitedly.

“Yes, Lumière, _we_ have grandkids,” Edmund scoffed. “Honestly...500 years and you’re as dumb as ever...how did I ever fall in love with you?”

“I like to think it was my charm that wooed you over,” Lumière replied as he kissed Edmund’s cheek, making him blush again.

“Wait, wait, wait ,wait, wait, wait--what do you mean _500_ years?” asked Yuno and Asta in unison.

Lumière sighed and whispered to Edmund, “I think you should explain, honey.”

Edmund nodded and looked at Nimbus to make sure he had enough time. It looked like time was not on his side yet again. “Please, my children, listen closely as Nimbus’s magic will wear off very soon.” Asta and Yuno nodded at him. “Your father and I met on the battlefield as he saved my life. Many things happened that I cannot go into much detail due to our time constraint. To keep it short, we fell in love with each other and I discovered that I had gotten pregnant with his kids. Having a more than good enough reason to marry, we had planned to have a secret wedding after Licht and Tetia’s wedding...but I’m sure you two know what happened. I was devastated when I had found out, so I experimented with forbidden magic to find out a way for me to live until I could see Lumière again. Unfortunately, the major side effect of my tinkering with otherworldly magic was that my pregnancy was delayed because the negative effects of the spells I had used threatened your lives. So, in order to protect you both, I had to wait out until my own forbidden magic wore off. Surprisingly, for 500 years, both of you protected each other with Asta taking the negative mana from Yuno. But Yuno was probably the greatest protector for you both, stopping Asta from becoming a demon and sending back the negative mana to me. The rest, as they say, is history since Nimbus here is telling me that Sior already told you of what had happened when I gave birth to you two.”

Asta smiled. He nudged Yuno with his elbow and gave him a knowing look. “I told you, Big Bro, you were always stronger than me!” he exclaimed.

“Y-Yeah, I guess I was,” Yuno stuttered. So, he had protected Asta all this time. _You owe me big time, little shit_ , Yuno thought. Then, an important question returned to his mind...but suddenly the world around them began to collapse. He didn’t have much time, so he asked, “Mother, Father, if you two are royals of Spade and Clover, then does that mea-”

Lumière waved his hand to cut Yuno off. “Yes, my son. You and Asta are the rightful heirs to two kingdoms.” He looked at Nimbus, who was looking at him apologetically. They were running out of time. “Let me say this: another reason why your mother and I wanted to marry was to unite the Clover and Spade Kingdoms. Sadly, that never happened...so let me make one selfish request: do what we couldn’t do and unite our two kingdoms. But don’t worry, with Nimbus around, you can visit us once a month or so to talk to us about your lives and maybe even let us see our grandkids.”

Asta and Yuno smiled at each other. They were happy that this wouldn’t be their last meeting with their parents because they still had so many more questions to ask them. They shouted in unison as the world around them collapsed more, “Goodbye for now, Mom, Dad! We love you!”

“We love you, too!” shouted the parents. With that, the world around them disappeared and the group found themselves back in Hage Village at the same time that they had left.

Nala, who had expended most of her mana in the spell, went to sleep as Asta and Yuno stroked her soft fur. They sat there in a comfortable silence as they reflected on their first meeting with their parents. Neither of them still couldn’t believe that they were the sons of two kings. Asta spoke up with a mischievous grin on his face, “Yuno, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Coup d’état?” Yuno asked with an equally mischievous grin on his face.

“Coup d’état,” Asta repeated.

_Forsaken Realm_

_Hage Village - Orphanage Church, outside_

_Two years later, sunset_

After the day Asta and Yuno had met their parents, they had informed all their close allies of their royal lineage; this was, of course, after Sior had removed the seal that was placed on Yuno, releasing his second sword magic affinity. Surprisingly, it hadn’t taken long for them to convince them and almost everyone was supportive of their plans to stage a coup. The plans hadn’t been set in motion just yet because Yuno had still been pregnant, and they still had to spread the word throughout the two kingdoms. Eventually, Yuno would give birth to triplets like Asta, who would never let go of the false belief that Yuno was trying to copy him. The two brothers would argue over a name for days until they had settled on naming the triplet girls something that Yuno had wanted to give Asta as a reminder that what Revchi had told him that day that felt like ages ago was nothing but an utter lie. He had named his three darling girls Faith, Hope, and Love. Asta bawled like a baby when he had discovered the meaning behind their names, showering Yuno with kisses until Finral and Leo had had enough.

But that was about a year ago from now. After that, the brothers and their allies had set their plans for a coup d’état in motion. To their surprise, no one except a few noblemen and the king had put up a fight if one could call ordering the guards to defend them a fight (the guards had immediately surrendered the moment they saw that it had been Asta and Yuno that they were facing). Everyone had been more than happy for the change in powers...except for Asta and Yuno, who had argued for weeks about who should be king, forcing the Clover and Spade Kingdom to be under martial rule until they could decide on a king. Asta had argued that Yuno was the logical choice since he already had experience with ruling a kingdom. Yuno, however, had been more stubborn than Asta, only relenting when Asta had caved and agreed to be king. This had been mainly because as Asta’s first royal decree, after having discussed it with Fuegoleon, who didn’t hesitate to agree because he hated the job, he had declared Yuno as the next Wizard King. Asta had used his new powers to force the position onto Yuno, who had been pouting about not getting the position fair-and-square. Ultimately, he had relented after Asta had guilt-tripped him, reminding him of how he had technically conceded in their race when Asta had “died”. So, Asta was crowned as Asta Grinberryall Silvamillion Clover Vermillion, the first King of the Clover and Spade Kingdom while Yuno was crowned as Yuno Grinberryall Silvamillion Clover Roulacase, the first Wizard King of the Clover and Spade Kingdom. And with that, they had fulfilled their parents wishes, uniting two warring kingdoms into one large effort against the Underworld.

But where were the two brothers now? They were sitting on the rooftop of their childhood home, watching the sunset after having had another boring day at their respective jobs. It was not always like this, but whenever the nobility was involved, their days turned sour as they dealt with the nobles’ feeble attempts to give them more power. So, on days like that, they would escape to their childhood home where they could watch the sunset peacefully. A comfortable silence found itself between them as they watched the large ball of fire sink lower and lower past the horizon. Asta could feel Yuno’s eyes on him, so he turned and asked, “Something the matter, Big Bro?”

“Big Bro”--that title he had dreaded for so long felt so right now that he knew the truth. That he loved Finral in the way he had wanted to love Asta and loved Asta as a brother. He sighed contentedly, “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you, too,” Asta chuckled. He was glad that Yuno was much more comfortable saying those words to him when it had taken him so long to say it back because of his feelings for him. Still, Asta couldn’t help but feel that he was hiding something. So, he voiced his concern and asked, “What’s really on your mind?”

_He always knows_ , Yuno thought. He smiled softly at him and answered, “Back when we were fighting that devil Zagred, Secré had said that you wanted to become Wizard King because you wanted to protect those you love, but more specifically, your hero. Now, I don’t know who that is, but I want you to know that you’re my hero, Asta. You’ve saved me countless times and I want you to know that I’m grateful for each and every second that I get to share my life with you.”

Asta chuckled. He couldn’t believe Yuno could remember something that had happened such a long time ago. “You’re as dense as ever, Big Bro. I can’t believe you still don’t know who Secré was talking about. It makes me think that a bird knows me better than my own brother.” He could sense Yuno stiffen at that comment, so Asta did the only appropriate thing at the moment. He unclasped the locket and tossed it at Yuno, who caught it easily. “Go ahead, open it,” he permitted.

Yuno opened the locket and gasped. He looked up at Asta, who nodded at him knowingly. The picture in his locket was something that he had tried to find when he had thought he had lost it. Apparently, Asta was responsible for it. He couldn’t believe that little shit. He thumbed the old picture and relished the memories that accompanied it. It was a picture of Yuno and Asta as little kids. Asta was crying into Yuno’s shoulder as Yuno rubbed his back, which was a rarity already since it was always the other way around before and after the occurrence despite Yuno’s promise of lack of tears later on. It was for such a simple reason, too: they had been playing tag when, unlike the other times, Asta had, for once, fallen over and scraped his knee. He could remember Sister Lily scolding Father Orsi for having taken the picture, claiming that he had wanted to document such a rare occurrence. It had angered everyone for a week, not even so much as glancing the priest’s way. Nevertheless, Yuno couldn’t have been more thankful for the petty behavior because now he understood--why Asta had never left him, enduring the pain of Yuno leaving him, why Asta had always been so forgiving despite all the deplorable words that had been said and the vile acts that had been done what felt like ages ago, why Asta had never given up on him. He thumbed the engraving that he had worked weeks to perfect as a little kid:

_Yuno and Asta. Asta and Yuno. You and me--together forever._

The locket, the picture, the engraving--they were all a wonderful memento of the old times, but Yuno enjoyed it more when he heard Asta say:

“Whatever has happened, whatever will happen, I have and always will love you because...it was you. It’s always been you. You've always been my hero, Yuno.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like them apples? Though I’m fond of experimenting/reading rare ships, Asta/Yuno will always be #1 for me, which was why I just had to end the story this way.
> 
> Well, that's all folks! I apologize if I may have rushed the story towards the end. I actually had more chapters planned but like our honorable Magic Knights, duty calls me back to reality. Anyways, I want to thank you for reading my entire story. I had originally meant for it to be something that only I could read, but I want to thank my cousin in the States from the bottom my heart for having pushed me into publishing it on AO3 and also helping me out by translating/proofreading my rough draft. It may sound narcissistic, but I've fallen in-love with this story...because it was my first and may be my last, but who knows? My cousin convinced me to keep writing, but like I've said countless times before, I'm a busy person...I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.
> 
> Most of all, I am so grateful for all of your guys' feedback. It means a lot to me that you have enjoyed some or even all of this story.
> 
> Lastly, I want to thank the author that had inspired me to write my first fic--IAmStoryteller!! If you're wondering what story had inspired me to do this, it was Gladiolus (which was why I just thought it would be nice to honor you by using flower symbolism in my story).
> 
> It's been a wild ride with this story and the world. I hope that all of you stay safe and healthy as we try to rid ourselves of a deadly disease.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think of this chapter and the story overall. If you have any questions regarding the plot and/or characters, feel free to ask away, and I’ll do the best I can to answer your questions.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> -IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL
> 
> P.S. I am well aware of the tag “Don’t Copy My Shit”, but that only meant the story as a whole. I’ve left enough plot holes in the story for anyone to expand on if they so wished. All I ask is that you ask me for permission in the comments and await my reply. I’m curious if anyone will take me up on this offer...


	34. NOT A CHAPTER!!

Hiya!

IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL here (obviously). Before I get started, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!

**Also, if you’ve already read the fanfic, this does not apply to you, so please disregard this message.**

It has come to my attention that I’ve made plenty of errors in the story. Furthermore, the chapters and _many_ paragraphs are just way too freaking long.

As a result, I plan to do a complete overhaul of this fanfic in a month or two, extending its chapters so that each chapter is around 3000-4000 words with certain chapters being a little longer depending on relevance to the plot as well as a proofreading/correcting **minor** details to the story (e.g. grammar, syntax, etc.), so don’t worry if you’re in the middle of it! I won’t be changing the plot at all.

I hope you can understand. Despite what I said in the first chapter, I want to give my best work whenever I commit to something.

As always, please stay safe and healthy.

-IDEKWhatToCallMyselfLOL


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